The Slayer's New Destiny
by youn2731
Summary: Buffy defeats Angelus, meets Whistler, and finds out about another prophecy involving her. She finds out she is adopted and is sent on a new mission by the PTBs. She must return to the Wizarding world as a student at Hogwarts and help defeat Voldemort.
1. A New Destiny

**Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine.**

**Setting: After Season 2 of BTVS and Buffy entering the seventh year of Hogwarts. Buffy sent Angel to Hell and has been kicked out of the house from her mother. She was also blamed for Kendra's death. After sending Angelus through the portal, Whistler comes down with a little message from the PTBs. Buffy finds out the truth about her real parents. To better serve the purposes of this story, the Golden Trio are still attending Hogwart's, but not part of the Order. Even though they are most likely old enough, they haven't been invited to join. Also, Dumbledore is still alive.**

**Author's Note: I have decided to write something a little different from the usual crossover stories. Most stories include Buffy paired up with either Harry or Draco, but this story will NOT be one of them. Also, it's not very Angel-friendly nor is it Golden Trio-friendly also. I also noticed that many stories make Buffy incredibly dense and inept at magic, and the ones that include her doing magic are either incomplete or she has a hard time doing spells. I hope this story makes up for all of those other ones. I know that some may think that because of the name I used in the story, it will crossover into Alias, but it's not. This is strictly BTVS/HP. I just like the name.**

**Chapter One: A New Destiny**

Buffy looked at the portal with tears in her eyes as it closed with a heavy burden in her heart. She had to kill Angel, the first man she has ever loved, the love of her life. She knew the moment Willow's spell had taken effect when she looked into his soulful eyes, but Acathla had already begun and she had a duty to save the world despite of her personal feelings. Her heart breaking even more as she watches it finally disappears for good.

Buffy tilted her head back any shouted upwards, "Why does this always happen to me!"

"Because you are The Chosen One," replied a voice.

Hearing this, the slayer spun her self around to see her facing a strange looking man with the worst fashion style she had ever seen. "Who the hell are you?"

"The name is Whistler. I'm a balance demon that works for the Powers That Be. I'm here to tell you of your new destiny," replied the stranger.

"Oh really! Is it as wonderful as my current one? You know, the one where I'm one girl against the forces of evil and I've just killed my soul mate to save the world! Thanks, but you can keep that new destiny because it can't be any better than this hell we know as life," Buffy says snarkily.

Whistler starts to back up just a little intimidated by this little blonde. _'Boy, if looks could kill!'_ Whistler thinks to himself. "Now, now Slayer, sarcasm doesn't become you. Don't you at least want to hear what I have to say? Oh, and by the way, Angel was never your soul mate. You two were never supposed to get together. Hello! He's a vampire, soul or not! You're a Vampire Slayer! You guys are mortal enemies. He was only supposed to help you because he was on the path of redemption. You were never meant to fall in love. Your true soul mate will be revealed to you in your new path."

Buffy looks back at him shocked and angry. "You're lying! What do you mean we were never supposed to get together? So help me, if you're playing some sick joke on me, I will rip out your ribcage and use it as a hat! You better start at the beginning with this new destiny shit!"

The balance demon eyes the irate slayer warily. "Well it all starts with a prophecy…"

"Of course, what else would it be? For once, why can't it start with rainbows and sunshine…" mutters Buffy.

"Hey, do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry, you may continue."

"Oh really! Thanks ever so much!" Whistler says mockingly. " As I was saying, there was a prophecy which states _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies. In the same year, the slayer-witch will have been born to an adversary. Together with the slayer-witch born of the enemy, they can defeat the Dark Lord. Both of the Chosen must be on the side of Light or else Darkness will prevail. The truth of each of their loyalties will be revealed in the final battle.' _This brings us to our subject of your new destiny which resides in a world of witchcraft and wizardry."

"What! You must be mistaken cos Buffy and magic are very unmixy things. Besides, I'm sure that I've never been a witch. That's Willow's deal, not mine. I'm just the Slayer."

"On the contrary, you are indeed a slayer as well as a witch. However you are different from most witches because you are the first slayer-witch to have been born ever. Your magic is different from Willow's because your magic is a part of you internally. Willow's magic is Wiccan and different because she draws her power from the energy around her, not within her self. While all slayers are made of magic, a slayer is considered as a magical creature in the wizarding world. They have their own magic naturally as well as witches, but the difference with you and other slayers or witches is that your power is magnified. You could be considered to be the most powerful magical being in the world. Believe me when I say that you will probably pick up magic easily because of who you are. Slayers are naturally adept at magic if they are given the chance to learn. Also your real parents were considered to be very powerful wizards."

Buffy looks at him with a frown. "What do you mean my real parents were powerful? Hank and Joyce Summers don't even know magic exists and if they did, my mom would have heard of the slayer when I admitted it was who I am, instead of kicking me out. She didn't believe me, and she refused to let me go out and fight Angelus. She told me that if I walked out the door, I could never come back. I made a choice to leave since the only other option was letting the world come to an end. Back in L.A. my parents didn't believe me then as well. I got shoved into a mental ward until I said I lied about vampires. I refuse to believe that they know about this magical world and still didn't believe me."

"The reason for this is because they aren't your real parents. You were taken away from your real parents because of the prophecy. You were given up for adoption in the muggle world so to keep you hidden and safe from Voldemort's evil clutches," replies Whistler.

Buffy gives him a confused look and asks, "Muggle? Who's Voldemort? What are you talking about?"

"Ok, I'm going to explain everything in full detail in a minute, but please no interruptions." Whistler then goes on to explain the wizarding world and what the different terms mean. He then tells her about Harry Potter, Voldemort, and what the prophecy means. He also tells her about her real parents and how they were Death Eaters and how they were two of the most ruthless ones under the Dark Lord's rule. He also mentioned that they were in Azkaban, a wizarding prison. By the end of the tale, he notices that Buffy is starting to look defeated.

"So what now? I'm supposed to go back to the magical world and defeat this Voldie Wart guy with Harry Potter?" Buffy asks.

"In a nutshell, yes. He has already found out the prophecy and is starting to make inquiries about what it entails. The fact that you have been living on the Hellmouth made it so that your magical presence was shielded from the wizarding world, but it is only a matter of time before you're found out and will be hunted for by the Dark Lord. The Powers have already set your path in motion. You will go to Giles to explain that you must leave. You will need to attend Hogwarts to get your magical training. It is vital that you learn in order to win this battle. The headmaster, Professor Dumbledore will arrive there a short while after you do. Everything you choose to tell your watcher is at your discretion," answers Whistler.

"What about my friends and my mom? Also Sunnydale and the Hellmouth? Who will guard it? " Buffy questions.

The balance demon looks at her carefully and replies, "Your friends may be told, as well as your mother if you choose to explain to them, but they are not allowed to follow you to school. They do not have any magic in them; therefore will not be able to attend. This is a war in which they will be able to help, but only when you truly need them. However, they may visit you if you want or you may be able to come back here for visits. As for the Hellmouth, when Kendra was killed, another slayer was called. The Watchers Council will send her here to protect the town when they have learned that you have moved. The Powers are relieving you of your duties to protect the Hellmouth because your path lies elsewhere and is much more important than being here. Also, don't worry about murder charges because soon you will be cleared."

Buffy looks back at him digesting all of the most recent information she had received. She sighs heavily. "Ok, I guess I have no choice in the matter. I think I will tell everyone everything, even though I know they won't like it."

Whistler looks at her with some empathy. _'When will this kid get a break? First, she's a slayer. Then she has to die. Next, she falls in love with the enemy only to have to send him to hell. Then she finds out her life has been a lie and that her parents were murderers. Now she has to leave her friends and family to go fight a war that she never knew existed.'_ He knows that there are some curveballs that will be thrown her way that he can't let her know about. If she can pull this latest mission off, she will receive her reward that she rightfully deserves: her true soul mate. He tells her, "I know you feel like you are alone, but you aren't. You have friends and family. You will find love again. Most slayers will never accomplish what you have already done. Also, you have the potential to become much greater than you already are. You are definitely one of the favorites among the Champions of Light. Your power comes from love and you will need it to survive. Also, while it is amusing that you act like you're a ditzy blonde, I think it's time that you stop. We both know that you're nowhere near the idiot you pretend to be. In fact, one could say that you're smarter than even Willow, but you don't want to draw anymore attention to yourself. Buffy looks at him, eyes narrowing. She just shrugs. "Ok, at least you aren't denying it. In your new school, you will achieve your goal by using that intelligence you like to pretend you don't have. It is very dangerous times in your new world and you will need you wits to stay alive. Now I must go, but before I do, is there anything else you need to know about your new destiny?"

"What the names of my birth parents and what is my name?" Buffy asks.

"You were born Eliza Lynn Rambaldi. Your parents are Deacon and Anastacia Rambaldi, the two most feared Death Eaters of their time. I suggest that the familial relations stay a secret until the right time presents itself to reveal everything." And with that Whistler disappeared as her walked away.

"How the hell am I going to explain this to everyone. This is so not my night. I hope all of this trouble is worth it in the end," Buffy mutters to herself. She finally heads out seeking Giles.


	2. Explanations All Around

**Chapter Two: Explanations All Around**

Buffy walked up to Giles' place and knocked on his door. After a moment, Giles answered the door. "Buffy, you're alive!"

"Gee, thanks for your faith in me," snarks Buffy.

Giles looked at her with a small smile and replied, "I meant that it was great to see you. I was so worried. Willow is in the hospital and Xander didn't know what happened after he got me away from Angelus. He, Oz, and Cordelia are at the hospital waiting to see if there are any changes in Willow's condition."

Buffy looks down guiltily, " It's all my fault this happened. If I hadn't gotten together with Angel, he would have never lost his soul and everyone wouldn't have gotten hurt. Even after he lost his soul, I should've tried harder to kill him instead of waiting until there was no other option. It's my fault that Ms. Calendar and Kendra are dead. Giles, I'm so sorry!"

Giles looks at his slayer with pity. "It's not your fault, Buffy. You couldn't have known what would happen. Plus everyone would have been in danger even if all of this mess had never occurred. We live on the Hellmouth. There is always danger no matter what. And in the end, you did your job and saved the world."

Buffy looks up sadly, "Thanks Giles. I know logically that it isn't my fault, but I can't help but feel guilty for the ones I couldn't protect. Also, there are some other things that I found out tonight that I need to tell you and the Scoobies." Buffy goes on to tell him about the fight with her mom, her being suspected for Kendra's murder, the fight with Angelus, the return of Angel, the way she had to send him off into the portal, and Whistler's visit. She told him about the prophecy and how she was adopted, and that her real parents were evil wizards. Then she told him about the new life the PTBs were sending her into. When she had finally finished her entire explanation between the _'oh dears'_ and _'good lords'_, she saw that Giles was polishing his glasses in shock. "Giles, are you okay?"

"Well, I must say that this is rather shocking. However, I have heard of the wizarding world before during my training to become a watcher. As you know, slayers are made of magic and in the past the Watchers Council used to work closely with the Ministry of Magic before both sides became distrustful each other. Both organizations thought that the other was starting to become too corrupted, so the Council stopped it's dealing with the Ministry, which is why the slayers these days don't learn magic. I do have one question though. What about your duties to the Hellmouth?" Giles asked Buffy.

Buffy smirks at him. "Well, I asked the same thing to Whistler and he said it will all be taken care of. When Kendra died, a new slayer was called. She will be sent here to protect it while I'm gone. The Council won't know the reason why I'm leaving this town."

Giles sighs. "What about your mother?"

Buffy snarls, "She was the one that kicked me out!"

"I know, but don't you think she deserves an explanation, Buffy?" Giles looks at her questioningly.

Buffy sighs in defeat. "I realize that, but it still hurts that she didn't believe me when the proof was right in front of her face. The first time I told my parents that vampire were real, they shoved me in a mental ward. This was in L.A. when I was first called. My grades started slipping. I had problems in school, with my parents, and accepting my destiny. I had nightmares and had a hard time sleeping. My parents were fighting all the time. Life was just miserable and then we moved here. I thought it would get better but it didn't. I came to a new school and the same problems began appearing again. This last fight with my mom came up because she saw me stake a vamp and I had to explain myself. She still didn't want to accept it and told me that if I left, I could never come back. Plus there were the police looking for me after Kendra's murder. I knew that I had to fight Angelus so I chose to save the world instead of saving my relationship with my mother. I was planning on running away before I spoke with Whistler. I didn't know what else to do."

Giles looks down at her shocked once again. "Oh my dear girl! I didn't realize how bad it was before Sunnydale. I understand that she has twice broken your trust, but she is still the woman who raised you, thus she deserves at the very least is an explanation. She loves you. You love her. You might need some time to get over this, but I know you will forgive her in the end. Your heart is very generous and forgiving. You love deeply, which is why betrayal hurts you more than others. This alone shows your character as a person, Buffy. I couldn't be more proud of you if you were my own daughter."

Buffy tears up and gives him a hug. "Thank you Watcher mine."

After they separated, there was a knock at the door. Giles went to open it and there stood a tall, elderly looking man with half moon spectacles and what could be described as robes. He looked at Giles with a twinkle in his eye and inquired, "Is Buffy Summers here?

Giles responded cordially, "Who may I ask wants to know?"

The man replied, "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Buffy looked over Giles' shoulder and saw the man. Her slayer senses were going crazy as she felt the power in this grandfatherly type man with twinkling eyes. She immediately felt at ease with him because he also exuded a comforting warmth as well as power. "It's okay. Let him in Giles. He has come to offer me a place at his school."

Dumbledore looked slightly taken aback at this. _'How did she know what I was going to do?'_ he wondered. "Ah… well yes. I was going to do exactly that my dear, but how did you know?"

Buffy gave him a little smile and replied, " Let's just say that I answer to a much higher power than you and have been requested to and help fight your war. I also know who my parents are, what I really am, and the entire prophecy regarding your Big Bad Voldy. By the way, this is my watcher, Rupert Giles."

Dumbledore was shocked, but hid it well behind a smile. "It seems that explanations are unnecessary then. When are you available to leave for Hogwarts?"

"I need a couple of days to get my things together and leave my friends and mom with explanations of what I'm being sent to do," Buffy responds. "I do have a question though. If Giles wants to, is there any arrangement that you could make for him to be at the school? A slayer can't be without her Watcher."

"I'm sure I can find him a spot as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Dumbledore smiles benignly.

"Thanks, Dumble-D. Giles, what do you say? Will you come with me?" Buffy questions softly.

Giles smiles gently at his slayer. "Of course, Buffy. It is my duty to help you and I will not leave you to your own devices now."

"Good. Then it's settled the both of you will accompany me back to Hogwarts. There are a couple of other things that you both must know. First, I am in an organization called The Order of the Phoenix. We are a group of wizards and witches that are fighting against Voldemort. I invite the both of you to join the Order since your experience and knowledge will prove valuable to the cause. Secondly, Voldemort has joined forces with dark creatures such as demons, vampires, and werewolves. I know that since you are the Slayer that this is your area of expertise in how to deal with them." Dumbledore says gravely.

"I knew something like this would happen!" Buffy says moodily.

"Yes these are very hard times and we will need all the help we can get," Dumbledore states. Well, I must get going. I will return to collect you in two days. Please have everything ready to go with you." And with a loud pop, he disappeared.

Buffy looks at the empty spot where Dumbledore was just standing and mutters, "Too much weirdness for tonight."

Giles also looks at her and says, "I would have to agree with you there." Well, lets get some sleep for tonight and tomorrow we can talk to everyone else. "Good night."

Buffy looks at the retreating figure and says quietly, "Good night Giles."

* * *

The next morning both Buffy and Giles went to her mom's place and explained everything that she needed to know. They talked more about vampires and demons, as well as slayers and their duty. Then they mentioned magic and Buffy's necessity to go and learn magic. Joyce just looked at the both of them with serious disbelief. 

"Buffy, I think you need to see some professional help. Haven't you caused enough trouble? I will not tolerate anymore of your lies!" Joyce raged at them. "I thought that leaving L.A. would help you, but you have only gotten worse. I just don't know what to do anymore."

Giles took of his glasses and started to polish them with his shirt. "Oh, dear." He knows that this is starting to look very ugly. Any moment now his slayer is going to blow up.

Buffy responded angrily, "Mom, I'm not making this up! Vampires are real! You saw it for yourself. Remember the man you saw turning into dust? Vampire! I'm a vampire slayer! One girl in the world chosen to fight against evil, yada, yada, yada. The Chosen One. I am a Champion chosen by higher powers that goes beyond you! Magic is real and I am a witch! I'm going to magic school. It is my destiny!"

"But how do you expect me to believe all of this is real?" Joyce looks at her daughter questioningly.

Giles decided it was his turn to speak and said, " I assure you, Joyce. Buffy is not making any of this up. I have seen that vampires and demons do indeed exist as well as the slayer chosen to fight these creatures. You have witnessed many strange things while living in this town. How can you continue to be in denial when the truth is right in front of you? As for magic, I know it to be real since I, myself, has had several experiences with it even though it isn't the same type of magic that Buffy has. Even you have experienced it at one point during one of those strange situations you have found yourself in around Buffy. Do you not remember how it was always odd that Buffy just so happened to be around those said situations and somehow was resourceful enough to save the day? Come on now Joyce, you know what really is the truth. You just don't want to admit that you could have been wrong about Buffy all these years."

Joyce stares at Giles hard, and then with a sigh says, "Okay, I believe you. It's just hard to take all of this in." She suddenly feels tired.

Buffy then realizes that there is one more thing that she must bring up with her mom: her real parents. "Mom, how come you didn't tell me that I'm adopted?"

Joyce's eyes widened at this new revelation. She asks, "How did you find out about that?"

"So it's true then. I found out about from the same ways I found out about the supernatural. Those said higher powers that like to play with my life informed me of it earlier," Buffy replies bitterly. "How could you not tell me something as big as this? And you wonder why I never told you about my calling before this! My whole life is one big lie!"

"I-I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't think you needed to know unless you needed something from your birth parents. I figured that it wouldn't matter as long as you were brought up in a loving home," Joyce managed to get out.

"Oh now you're sorry! You weren't sorry when I told you before and you had me institutionalized. Where was sorry all of those times you and dad fought about my problems? You even managed to call me a liar and kick me out of the house when I told you a second time of my calling. Let me ask you, where is the loving home you speak of?" Buffy raged at her mother.

"I don't know what to say, Buffy! At the time, I thought it was for your own good. I love you! You're my daughter. I never meant for all of this to cause so much pain to you." Joyce sobbed.

Buffy looks at the woman she has considered her mother all her life and sighs deeply. "I know this mom, but I can't help but feel betrayed. I know that over time I will be able to get over everything and forgive you, but right now is not the time. I am still angry with you for lying to me my whole life and for all the other hurtful things that you have done like institutionalizing me. For my safety as well as to heal emotionally, I am going to Hogwart's. I will write to you and let you know how I am doing. Maybe you can come visit later or I can come back here if it's not too dangerous during breaks. I'm sorry, but I just need time."

"I guess there is nothing I can say to change your mind then. I hope everything works out Buffy. No matter what happens, I love you." Joyce says with acceptance.

"I love you too, mom. Now I have to go get my things packed and then I have to tell my friends before I leave. I guess I'm really saying goodbye for now." And with that, Buffy walked up the stairs to start packing. After another hour passed, she and Giles bade her mom goodbye and walked out the door.

* * *

When they got to the hospital, they found that Willow had woken up and was talking to the others. Buffy's explanation with the Scoobies was a lot less hard to explain. They were sad at the loss of their best friend, but understood that she needed this new life. Plus they would still keep in touch through letters and there were the occasional visits they could have. 

"We're really going to miss you, Buff. It just won't be the same without you," Xander said.

"I can't believe you're witch! I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend." Willow tearfully added. Both Willow and Xander gave Buffy big hugs. Soon after Oz and Cordy joined in.

"Awww. You guys! I'll miss you too, but we'll still be in touch with each other. I'll try to make visit back here soon. Also, you know that if you ever need me, all you have to do is contact me and I'll be there as fast as I can." Buffy replied.

"Buffy, I hate to interrupt, but we better get back to my place to get my things sorted out. Professor Dumbledore will probably come back tomorrow and I want to be ready." Giles interrupted. With one last goodbye, the slayer and her watcher left.

* * *

The next day, as if on cue, Dumbledore appeared in Giles' living room. "Whoa! How did you do that?" Buffy wondered. Giles just appeared in shock. 

"I apparated, my dear. We will be using a portkey to return though since we have all of your things to take with us too."

"Apparate? Portkey?" Buffy looked confused.

"Apparating is like teleporting and a portkey is a device made magically that allows you do the same, but is better when traveling in big groups or have many things in need of transportation. Both are forms of wizarding travel." Dumbledore informed her. He then took out a tin can. "Now everyone make sure you are touching everything you are bring and touch this. It will take us back to England where we will get your school supplies. Don't let go of anything until we get there otherwise consider it to be gone."

Buffy gave him a skeptical glance, but did it anyway. Giles, following her lead did the same. A moment passed and they all disappeared.


	3. Introduction To The Wizarding World

**Chapter 3- Introduction To The Wizarding World**

Buffy felt a tug and all of a sudden she found herself landing in a room. She felt slightly off balanced when she landed, but her slayer reflexes kept her from falling. She looked around her to see Dumbledore still standing, but Giles landed on the floor. She laughed at the sight of her watcher looking so ridiculous sprawled on the ground. "Giles, are you okay?" She asked, her voice full of laughter.

From the ground, Giles looked up to see both his slayer and Dumbledore looking at him with amusement in their eyes. He glared. "Yes I am. Thanks for your concern. I can see that you were really worried." He responded full of sarcasm.

"Sorry Giles. It was just so hard to keep myself from laughing. You looked absolutely ridiculous!" Buffy told him while still trying to hold back her laughter.

Dumbledore noticed Giles' face start to turn bright red and came to the rescue. "Alright, that's enough, my dear. We still need to get you your robes and school supplies. We can get those in Diagon Alley."

Buffy had started to notice the room and wondered at the pictures she saw. _'What the hell! They're moving!'_ "Are those pictures doing what I think they're doing? Where are we?" She asked.

"Yes, they are moving. In the wizarding world, the pictures move because the witch or wizard whose picture it is has put some of their magical essence into it. We are in a room in a place called the Leaky Cauldron. We will sleep here tonight and then go to Diagon Alley to pick up your supplies. Then we will go to Hogwart's to get you sorted into a house and make sure you are settled. Buffy, this is the room you'll be staying in. Rupert, you will be next door, and I will be across the hall from you." Dumbledore answered.

"Fascinating." Giles had also gotten up from the ground to take notice of his surroundings.

"Sorted?" Buffy was curious.

" Yes. There are four houses at Hogwart's. They are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. These houses were named after the four founders of the school: Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Griffindor, and Salazar Slytherin. They all had different qualities that they wanted in their houses. Hufflepuffs are known for their loyalty and kindness, Ravenclaws usually have the most intelligent students, Griffindors are known for their courage and bravery, and Slytherins are cunning and ambitious. Most pureblooded wizards came from that house, as it was a standard set by Salazar himself. Also, many of the darkest wizards came from there as well. Many of them are now Death Eaters." Dumbledore explained.

"Cool. So what do I do to get sorted?" Buffy asked.

"Not to worry. You will be sorted with the sorting hat. It is a magically enchanted hat that allows it to look into your mind to properly place you into your house. The founders made sure to put what they wanted for their houses into the hat so that way it knows which house is right for a witch or wizard. Now how about we put our things away and meet downstairs to get something to eat. You must be hungry and tired. Plus we have a busy day tomorrow." And with this, Dumbledore walked towards the door.

Buffy looked at Giles, shrugged. After they got settled, Buffy and Giles made their way down the stairs and found themselves in a dingy bar. They saw a man approach them with a smile and slight curiosity in his eyes. "Hello, you must be Professor Dumbledore's guests. I'm Tom, the innkeeper of this place. How do you like your rooms?"

"Hello, I'm Rupert Giles and this is my ward, Buffy Summers. The rooms are fine, thank you. May I ask where is the Professor? We are supposed to meet him for dinner." Giles answered.

"Just follow me. We have a room set up for your meal. Professor Dumbledore is already waiting for you." Tom walked ahead and showed Buffy and Giles a private room with a table full of food ready to be eaten and Dumbledore already seated. " Well, I hope you enjoy the meal." And he left.

"There you two are! I took the liberty of ordering for everyone. I'm sure everything will be to your liking. Please sit and enjoy the food." Dumbledore gestured to the table and the other two took it as their cue to eat. After their meal, they went to their rooms and went straight to bed.

* * *

The next day, they made their way to the back of the Leaky Cauldron, only to stop in front of a brick wall. Both Buffy and Giles looked at Dumbledore in confusion. Buffy asked, "I thought we were going to Diagon Alley?" 

"We are." The old wizard responded. Buffy looked at him skeptically and stared at the wall. He then took out his wand and proceeded to tap on the bricks. The wall began to shift and opened up to allow entrance. Both Buffy and Giles looked through the alley in amazement. Dumbledore just smiled at them and gestured for them to walk with him.

"First thing we need to do is go to Gringotts. It is a wizarding bank that is run by goblins and I am sure that your parents had a vault opened up for you, Buffy. Rupert, since you are now a teacher at Hogwart's, I have opened up an account for you. Now we just need to withdraw some money for the two of you to buy your things. Then we will go and get you fitted for robes. After that we will get Buffy's supplies and anything else she might want like a broom or a familiar. Lastly, we will go to Ollivander's to get Buffy's wand."

They head through Diagon Alley towards the bank. As soon as they got inside of the bank Dumbledore handed one of the goblins keys and asked to see the two vaults. They were escorted to a cart that took them underground at an incredible speed. When it stopped, Buffy jumped out of the cart with an enthused, "Wow, can we do that again? It was like riding a rollercoaster!" Giles, on the other hand, looked pale. They stopped at vault 617.

"Buffy, this is your vault. Just remember that wizarding money is different from American money. We have galleons, sickles, and knuts." When they entered the vault, Buffy saw piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Dumbledore handed her a pouch to put her money in and she just grabbed several handfuls of different colored coins. He explained to her the value of each coin, which she managed to understand and decided to grab a few more galleons. Afterwards, they went to vault 918, which was Giles' vault. He withdrew what he needed from his sizeable pile of currency and they left the bank in search of robes.

For the next few hours, they got fitted for robes, which Buffy complained about how they were a complete fashion disaster. Giles just shook his head in exasperation. Dumbledore just chuckled at the young girl's antics, amazed at how someone who reeked of such power and responsibility, could still manage to act like that. After that, they went to Flourish and Bott's to pick up Buffy's books and anything else she might have needed. She ended up finding a book about the history of slayers, which she decided to buy. They also bought the rest of her supplies before heading into the Quidditch supply store.

Buffy looked around and found a beautifully polished broom in a case. The handle was made of a dark colored wood, which was practically black. It connected with what looked like golden threads bound together, but the tips flared out and looked like fire dancing. There was a sign above the case that read: Golden Flame. She wanted it immediately. The shopkeeper explained that it happened to be the newest model of brooms and it was supposed to be the most balanced, fastest, and responsive broom on the market. She ended up buying it.

Next, they went to Eeylop's Owl Emporium. Buffy walked around the shop looking for a pet. While there were several beautiful animals, none of them caught her interest. She was about to head out when something landed on her shoulder. She turned around to see a gorgeous phoenix had perched itself on her shoulder. It had golden feathers mixed with reddish colored ones. It's eyes were a deep green that looked back at you with intelligence.

"Oh my god, you're such a beautiful bird." Buffy told the bird.

Both Giles and Dumbledore looked at the bird with amazement. Giles couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dumbledore's reaction was more because phoenixes were rare creatures and they just didn't fly out of nowhere. "I dare say. Is that a phoenix?" Giles asked Dumbledore.

He responded, "Yes, they are very rare, magical creatures. They can carry many times their weight and their tears have healing properties. They are also very good judges of character and are extremely loyal to whom they choose to own them. As you see Buffy, this particular bird chose you as its owner."

Buffy asked the shopkeeper how much the phoenix cost, but the shopkeeper just told her to take the bird because it only just arrived a few days ago and wasn't originally to be sold. The phoenix wasn't hers to sell. Buffy took her phoenix, which she named and left the shop. They all headed to Ollivander's for her wand

When they entered the wandmaker's shop, Buffy noticed that there were a bunch of dusty boxes, stacked everywhere. Out of the shadows, an old man with pale eyes approached them. Buffy assumed that this was Mr. Ollivander, but because he managed to set off her spidey senses, she automatically was on the defense. She just looked at him suspiciously.

Dumbledore sensed her unease and said, "Not to worry my dear. He is the owner of the shop and will not attempt to harm you." Then he addressed Ollivander and told him that they needed a wand for Buffy.

Ollivander looked at Buffy and asked, "Which is your wand arm?" Buffy just stuck out her right arm for Ollivander, who brought out a tape measure that started making all sorts of measurements on Buffy's arm before finally stopping and dropping on the counter. Ollivander brought out several boxes and took out one of the wands for Buffy to try. "Every wand here is made with a core of a powerful, magical substance like unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, or dragon heartstrings. The wand chooses the witch or wizard. Also no two wands are alike. Here try this one: 10 inches, Yew, and the core of a dragon heartstring. A powerful wand. Give it a wave." Buffy took the wand and waved. The boxes that were in the general direction of the wand just crashed onto the floor. Buffy apologized immediately, but Ollivander told her it was a common occurrence. He handed her another wand, "11 inches, mahogany, unicorn hair core. Give it a wave." Buffy waved the wand a small sparks shot out of the tip. "Hmmm…not powerful enough for you. No, no, definitely not the wand for you." They went through twenty other wands and not one of them matched Buffy. She was starting to lose her patience.

"Look, we've been through so many wands already and I'm starting to get tired. Maybe there isn't a wand for me." She said tiredly.

"Nonsense, there is a wand for everyone." Ollivander looked at her for a minute and smiled. "Of course! You are far too powerful to have just any wand. I think I need to get out my most unique creations because none of these wands a strong enough for you." He walked to the back and came back out with a few more boxes. He took out a wand that was a mixture of polished red and black wood swirled together with a golden tip. "10 ½ inches, a combination of cherry and ebony woods soaked in holy water, and the core of a phoenix feather dipped in the blood of the first slayer. The wood has been hardened over time and the tip of the wand has been dipped in gold. Very powerful indeed. Give it a wave." Buffy grabbed the wand and felt a surge of warmth flow through her arm. Then with a wave, a burst of a bright light shot out of the wand and lit up the store. "Ah, there you are. This wand was made by one of my ancestors, specifically for a slayer. It cannot be used by anyone other than the wand's owner. It has also been made so sturdy that it is very hard to break. This is a fighter's wand. Extremely powerful wand." He then took the wand and wrapped it up for Buffy. Finally after such a long day, they headed back to their rooms to gather their things before going to Hogwart's.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Buffy found herself in Dumbledore's office waiting to be sorted. She sat on a stool and watched the old wizard grab a worn, old, and tattered-looking hat. He placed it on her head and to her surprise it began to talk. 

'_Hmm…what have we here? Oh yes, a slayer witch. Where should I put you? You would do well in any of the houses. Enough loyalty to do any Hufflepuff proud. Plenty of courage and bravery for Gryffindor. Also very cunning like a Slytherin. Your parents were in also in Slytherin. An absolutely brilliant mind worthy of Ravenclaw. You manage to pull off that dumb blonde act very well that even your closest friends don't realize how much you are really fooling them. It does tend to be used to your advantage, but the drawback is people don't expect you to be serious. You would do your best in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Oh, I see such power and intelligence in this mind. _

Buffy started to get impatient and said, "Just put me wherever, but hurry up!"

_Well, a lot of your power is rooted in darkness so it better be… _"SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat shouted out.

"Excellent. Professor Snape is the head of your house and the Potions master. I will send for him so he can show you to your room. Because of who you are, all of the professors have been informed on your true identity. I advise you to tell no one else of your being a slayer. I also know that you will feel the need to go slaying so I have authorized that you will not have a set curfew like the other students and you are free to slay in the Forbidden Forest. Just be careful because not all of the creatures in there are evil. I have also let the prefects know that curfew doesn't apply to you. Now the only thing left to discuss is your class schedule. I think that we should work on it at the end of the summer before classes start depending on how far you have come along in your studies. All of the professors will be here to tutor you through the subjects and you will also have to take your OWLs: Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Because you are entering as a seventh year, you will also need to make sure your spells are up to NEWT standards: Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests." Suddenly, the was a knock and a man with black, greasy hair and a sneer on his face walked in. "Ah Severus, meet Buffy Summers, your newest addition to Slytherin. Please escort her to her room." Dumbledore addressed the cruel looking man in black robes.

"As you wish, Headmaster. Come along Miss Summers." Snape responded. He turned and walked out of the door with Buffy following.

As they reached the Slytherin common rooms, they stopped in front of a painting and Snape said, "pureblood." The door opened up and Buffy saw a room on the other side of the picture. They stepped into the room and Snape led Buffy to a hallway. At the end of the hall was her room. When she stepped inside, she noticed that it was much roomier than it looked. There was a little living room area with a couch and a table with some chairs. The bed was on one end of the room with all of her things already set beside it. "Miss Summers, as you've just heard, you need to know a password to get into the common rooms. All of the houses have a common room and passwords are needed to get in. Every house has a different password. You mustn't tell anyone out of your house the password. I know Dumbledore has decided to give you special treatment because of who you are just like Potter, but I refuse to do the same. In my classes, you will be treated the same as everyone else. Do you understand me?" As he said this, he loomed over Buffy's head to try and intimidate her like the rest of his students. Of course, she wasn't.

She looked up at him and said, "Look, you don't know me so don't try and make me out to be someone looking for favors. I didn't ask for this shit so fuck off. You don't know the kinds of things I have faced every night for the past two years, things that would probably make you piss yourself."

"How dare you talk to me like that? I am a professor. I demand your respect!" He sputtered.

"Oh I dare because in my world, you are hardly worth being intimidated by. I only give respect when it is earned. Just because you are a teacher doesn't mean I will bow down to your bullshit. Now I suggest you leave my room before I have to throw you out." She snarked.

Snape stared at her hard in disbelief that such a little girl refused to cower to him. It intrigued him. Finally, he turned around and left.


	4. Summer Classes

**Chapter 4- Summer Classes**

During the rest of the summer, Buffy spent it learning spells from first to seventh years. She met all of the professors and was doing well in her magic studies. She read all of her books and learned the spells with ease. She actually began to do the spells without using incantations once she figured out the concept of doing the spells. She figured out that because her magic was within her, she needed to focus on channeling the magic through the wand. The more focused she was, the stronger the spell. Also, being focused made it easier for her to do the spell without saying a word. Most of her teachers were surprised, and then impressed with her progressing magical abilities. Everyone except for Snape.

He had started out insulting her in the first few classes, but quickly realized that she was a natural at making potions. She made nearly every potion perfectly. After recognizing that he could not tease her for her lack of skill, he made sneering comments about her in general to see if she rose to the bait. She never did. Buffy had figured out that he purposely tried to get a rise out of her, so instead of letting him get what he was aiming for, she killed him with kindness. She never responded to any of the insults, instead only ignoring them. This made Snape angrier because he couldn't break her, but she also gained his respect because of it. Not that he would ever admit that he liked this annoying slip of a girl.

She reminded him of himself with her occasional sarcastic remarks hidden behind a mask, never letting anyone ever see past it. He could tell that his original assumption of her was wrong. She wasn't some blonde airhead who was too spoiled. In her eyes, he saw someone who had seen far more than most adults and hid behind a façade. Over the next few weeks, he began to actually enjoy her in his class because for once, he had a student who knew what they were doing. Eventually, they came to an understanding of sorts where he wouldn't bait her and she would hold an intelligent conversation with him.

Another subject Buffy was a natural at was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Big surprise. She had actually shocked Giles with her extensive knowledge of demons and other dark creatures. He never knew she actually read all of those books during their many nights of researching. He also found out that she could actually read, write, and speak several different languages in the books, both demonic and human languages including Sumerian, Latin, Mandarin, and Fyarl. "Buffy, why didn't you tell me that you knew of this many creatures? Or that you've actually known what the books you researched through said?" He wondered what else his slayer hid from him.

"Very simple Giles. The reason is because you never asked, just assumed you knew everything about me. Me being me, decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Why do boring research when you can do something fun instead?" She answered him. While she knew that she was intelligent, she got a kick out of everyone falling for her dumb blonde act. People expected less out of her for it and since she already had enough on her plate, why add more expectations? The only reason she was able to retain so much information without studying much is because she had a photographic memory. Even though her grades in school weren't perfect, it wasn't for lack of smarts, but because there was a lack of caring. Slaying could get pretty hectic and she often had to choose it over homework for the greater good. Sigh _'The price of being a superhero.'_ She thought to herself. She actually had been surprising herself at the time and dedication she took into learning magic.

* * *

Dumbledore had also taken upon himself to teach her the practical side if DADA since Giles couldn't do magic. On the first day of class, he decided to use a boggart as a lesson. "Now Buffy, this is a boggart. It shape-shifts into your greatest fear. The spell to counter it is riddikulus. Just point your wand at it, say the spell, and think of the least scary thing you can imagine." With that Dumbledore backed up to allow the boggart to shift in front of Buffy. When it shifted its shape, the form that appeared in front of Buffy looked incredibly familiar. 

'_No, it can't be! He's dead.'_ Buffy thought, as she stood frozen looking at the figure.

"Hello, lover." Angelus said as he stepped in front of Buffy.

"No! I killed you! You're not real!" Buffy shouted at him.

"What's the matter, Buff? Cat got your tongue? I'd have thought you'd be happy to see me, the man that you love." Angelus sneered.

"You're not that man. He is gone and he's not coming back." And without another thought, she yelled, "Riddikulus!" As the spell hit, the boggart changed into Principal Snyder wearing a pink tutu. Dumbledore quickly stunned it into a cupboard and locked it up.

"What happened here, Buffy?" He asked.

"That was a vampire by the name of Angelus. As you can see, he is what I fear. Just before you arrived in Sunnydale, we fought. I won. The world was going to end. I stabbed him in the gut with a sword and sent him through a portal to save the world. End of story." Buffy answered shortly.

"I see." He responded quietly. He sensed that there was more to the story, but didn't want to push her. If she wanted to tell him everything, she could in her own time. He also wondered at how one of the vampires of the Scourge of Europe happened to be her fear. Curiosity got the best of him. He looked into her eyes and tried to use legilimency to see into her mind. Buffy immediately felt this intrusion in her mind and pushed it away, hard. The force of the mental push sent him backwards. This surprised him because she seemed to be a natural at occlumency.

Buffy just glared at him. "What the hell did you just do?" Anger and power began to roll off of her in waves.

Feeling the rage and power towards him, Dumbledore winced at the young woman. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I just wanted to know how Angelus, one of the Scourge of Europe, became your fear. I didn't think you would feel the intrusion in your head. Not many ever notice." He said apologetically.

He looked so sorry that Buffy slowly felt her anger disappear. "Yes, well that is a story for another time. What's with the mind reading thingy?"

"It's called Legilimency. It allows a skilled enough wizard into the minds of others. You see pictures in their head and it helps you to learn about a person. It is also a skill used to see if a person is lying or not. Occlumency is what you managed to do. It blocks the mind from being looked into. Many skilled wizards learn to compartmentalize their thoughts so that they can leave the most abstract thoughts on the top, while hiding their secrets away. The key to it is to clear your mind. You seem to be a natural at occlumency. It is a most useful skill to know. Voldemort happens to be a skilled legilimens. Knowing occlumency would help to protect you. I think this is something that you will also be learning. Harry Potter has also learned a little of occlumency because of his connection with Voldemort. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a baby, he managed to give them a connection. Voldemort has been able to get into Harry's head and vise versa. He, more than anyone, needs to learn it, but he has never been able to grasp the concept of it all. He has a temper and has trouble holding his emotions in check. I will be teaching him more of Occlumency, but he really hasn't been happy with me lately. I might have withheld information from him in the past and it was a mistake. A couple years ago, he lost his godfather, Sirius Black, because I was too scared to teach him myself. I left the task up to Professor Snape, who hates Harry. Mostly because of a past grudge with Harry's father and friends. Voldemort found out about the connection and used it to lead Harry into a trap where Sirius went to help rescue Harry, but died in the process. Since then the trust has been shattered, but we've been slowly rebuilding it." Dumbledore explained.

"He sounds like he had it rough. Well, I guess it would be a good idea to learn. Might come in handy one day." Buffy agreed.

Deciding to move the topic to something else, Dumbledore said, "Well, let's move on shall we? Now another very important spell that you must learn is the Patronus Charm. Voldemort has aligned himself with dementors. They are things that were once used to guard the wizarding prison, Azkaban. When they approach you, you will feel like all of your happiness is sucked out of you and that you will never feel happy again. They also apply the Dementor's Kiss, which sucks out your soul. Now because you are the slayer and have seen many horrible things, it is likely that these could affect you more than others because of the horrors you've lived through. This means you will be more vulnerable than others when they are near. The Patronus is designed to keep dementors away when used. The key to performing a successful spell is to focus on your happiest memory. Now the incantation is _Expecto Patronum_. Please say it a few times and give your wand a try."

Buffy practiced the words a couple of times before trying to perform the spell. Then she chanted, "_Expecto Patronum_!" A wisp of silver smoke shot out of the wand, forming into a large, silver panther that continued stalking around gracefully. Dumbledore was surprised yet again that she managed to do a complete Patronus on her first try. _'This girl must be much more powerful than I thought. This could prove to put her in even more danger than she already is.' _He said to himself.

Over the weeks, Buffy picked up curses, hexes, and jinxes in no time, in addition to learning legilimency and occlumency. She had actually become skilled in both mind techniques. Dumbledore had also taken to teaching her how to duel with magic. She managed to pick it up quickly and soon was able to keep up with Dumbledore since her slayer stamina and reflexes made up for Dumbledore's experience.

Transfiguration was something that had also intrigued Buffy. For her first class, she saw a cat lounging on a desk, but there was no professor. _'Hmm... I wonder where Professor McGonagall is.' _Buffy thought to herself. Imagine her surprise when the cat on the desk changed into the missing professor. "How did you do that? Can I learn to do that too? That is so cool!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Ah, I managed to do that because I'm an animagus. I have the ability to change into an animal at will. As you can see, my animal is a cat. Every animagus has a different form. The reason for this is because the meditation to achieve this looks into a person's soul and forms the animal that is a reflection of that person. This is very advanced magic which you will have a chance to learn, but only if you become proficient in transfiguration basics first. Now we will start with trying to change a matchstick into a needle. In order for this to work, you must be able to focus on what is being transfigured as you say the incantation." McGonagall said.

Buffy looked at the matchstick and concentrated on what she wanted. Then she pointed her wand at it and said the spell. When she finished she saw a needle in place of the matchstick. "Oh, this is so cool! Can we try something else?" Buffy said excitedly.

"Well done on your first try, Miss Summers." McGonagall complimented the excited young lady. She found Buffy to be quite amusing. As they continued, she had Buffy transfiguring smaller objects into larger ones. Over the next weeks, Buffy learned how to not only transfigure inanimate objects, but also animates ones too. Then she learned how to transfigure subtle details on an object. Buffy found this to be more challenging than any of her other subjects and enjoyed it immensely.

* * *

There was one thing that Buffy found enjoyable, flying. She had taken to flying like a duck to water. She loved the feeling of freedom that it provided. Also with her reflexes, she was able to fly the broom with amazing skill. She liked to fly it as fast she could while doing series of flips and turns in the air. Buffy found that flying was exhilarating and relaxing all at the same time. When she flew, there was a look of pure joy on her face that hadn't been there in a long time. The professors were amazed at her flying. They hadn't seen anyone fly that well since Harry Potter came to Hogwart's. 

Between her magic studies and her slayer training with Giles, Buffy found the summer going by quickly. She had managed to get her apparating license and was now using it to go to Diagon Alley to pick up some supplies. They had found out that she could do it without training for it by accident. One night during her patrol, fifteen vampires attacked her. She managed to defeat them, but not before they got in some damage to her. The last thing she thought before she passed out was that she needed Giles.

_Giles and Dumbledore was in Dumbledore's office having a conversation when all of a sudden, Buffy appeared on his floor. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely. "Oh my God! Buffy!" Giles yelled. "We need to get her some medical attention."_

_"Take her to Poppy. I will have Severus meet us down there with some potions." Dumbledore said as Giles picked up his slayer and started running out of the door. Then he went to the fireplace and called for the potions master. "Severus, I need you to bring some potions to Poppy. Miss Summers was injured during her patrol and has lost a lot of blood. She was unconscious when she apparated into my office."_

_"What! I thought Hogwart's couldn't be apparated into? How did she manage to do it?" Snape asked in shock._

_"Later Severus. Just get the potions to Poppy. We don't have time for this conversation. I will meet you down there." Dumbledore answered. He was worried for Buffy, but also shocked that she managed to apparate into the castle without trying. This young woman had managed to continually surprise him._

_Down in the medical ward, Giles had handed Buffy over to Poppy, who immediately began to heal the girls injuries. "Is she going to be okay?" Giles asked the medi-witch worriedly._

_"She has lost a lot of blood, but once she takes the blood-replenishing potions, she should be on her way to healing." Poppy said. "Her body's advanced healing should aid her in her recovery."_

_Giles sighed in relief. At that moment, Snape walked in with his potions and handed them to Poppy. She then was able to make Buffy drink it and put Buffy to sleep with a spell. Snape looked at the condition of this girl who he had slowly begun to like and saw how badly beaten she was._

_"What happened to her?" He asked._

_"Other than that she lost a lot of blood, we don't really know. She just appeared in Dumbledore's office. I assume something went bad on her patrol tonight." Giles responded flatly._

_"Wait a minute. She apparated into the castle? How is that possible? No one is supposed to be able to do that." Poppy said in astonishment._

_Giles looked shocked at this new piece of information. He didn't realize how much power Buffy wielded in her tiny, unassuming body. At that moment, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall walked in. Dumbledore said, "Yes, we know Poppy. Unfortunately, Miss Summers appears to be much more powerful than any other wizard or witch, including Voldemort." As he said the name, both Snape and Poppy winced. "When she wakes up, we will have to talk to her about what happened tonight. For now, we should get some rest."_


	5. Revelations

**Authors Note: While I've appreciated the reviews I've gotten so far, I don't particularly need them. However, it is always nice to hear praise. I know that not everyone will like the story so if you don't like it, keep it to yourself. If you like the story, let me know. If you don't like it, read something else. Thanks.**

**Chapter 5- Revelations**

_The next day Buffy found herself on a bed in what looked like a hospital. Giles was sitting in the chair next to the bed asleep. She moved around in her bed trying to get comfortable and woke him up in the process. "How are you feeling, Buffy?" He asked._

_"Like I was run over by a bus." She quipped back to him. "I'm a little sore, but I feel alright."_

_"Don't move. Let me go get Poppy and notify the Professor Dumbledore." He said before walking out._

_A few moments later, Poppy appeared and checked Buffy over. Minutes later, Giles and Dumbledore walked in._

_"She should be okay. She seems to have healed majority of the wounds, but should stay her for another night to be sure." Poppy told them._

_"I'm fine. I can just rest in my room. I don't need to stay here again." Buffy said pleadingly. She hated hospitals._

_But Poppy wouldn't budge and said, "No, you must stay for another night."_

_Buffy looked to Giles for help, but he said, "Buffy, I think you should stay. You lost a lot of blood last night."_

_Buffy knew she wouldn't win this argument and started to pout. "Humph. Fine!"_

_"Can you tell us what happened, my dear?" Dumbledore asked._

_"I was out patrolling like the usual when fifteen vamps showed up. We fought. I won. They got lucky. Last thing I remember before I passed out was that I needed Giles. Then I woke up in this bed." Buffy responded._

_"Very interesting. You were incredibly lucky to survive. You were in very bad shape when you apparated into my office unconscious. No one has ever done that before. Hogwart's is supposed to be protected against things like that. You, Miss Summers, are a very powerful witch. You wanting Rupert explains how you ended up in my office because he happened to be having a conversation with me when you appeared." Dumbledore said._

_"Huh. Cool. So when can I try that apparating thingy again?" Buffy responded._

_"Well, you need to get your license for it, but then it should be okay to do it. I must warn you to be careful of apparating into the castle when school begins. Everyone knows that it is impossible to apparate on the school grounds. If someone catches you, it would draw attention to you and might help to make you more vulnerable." Dumbledore answered._

_"Sounds good to me." Buffy said._

* * *

As time passed by, she also realized that she was healing from the betrayal of Angelus and also of her mother. What was once a sharp anger over what had happened and the guilt over killing her lover, eventually became a dull ache. While it still hurt and she missed Angel, she knew she could start letting him go. Her mother's betrayal had hurt her more, but she knew that with a little more time she could forgive her. She also missed her mother and her friends. One day she asked Giles during her training, "Do you think that now is a good time to send everyone a letter to let them know how I am?" 

"That would be an excellent idea, Buffy. I'm sure everyone is wondering how you are and are worried. Especially your mother." He responded.

Buffy decided that he was right and after her training, she went to her room and started to write to everyone in Sunnydale. She took out a piece of parchment, a quill, and started writing to her friends first because it was easier. They might have not been happy that she had left, but they had understood. They had all parted under great terms, not like with her mother. She still didn't know what to say to that woman. There was still a lot of hurt and she needed to think about what to write to her. She might have missed her mom, but the betrayal made it hard to forgive what she did.

_Dear Gang,_

_Hey guys! I'm sorry that I haven't written you sooner, but I've been really busy trying to catch up in my studies. I also needed the time to think about what had happened in Sunnydale and to begin healing from it. I miss you all so much. I wish you guys could see this place. Maybe I can go there for a small trip on the weekend once school starts. _

_You wouldn't believe how amazing this place is. It is much different from Sunnydale. Way cooler! The school is a castle. Yep, an honest-to-God castle. Everything is literally magic. Everyone uses magic for almost everything. It's very nifty. _

_Giles is loving it here with all the magical texts and of course, the ones with demons are also catching his attention. I think I'm surprising him with all of my studying. Yes Wills, I am actually studying for classes. I'm surprised myself. I found that I am actually pretty good at this magic thing. I'm actually loving it. We have wands and spells. We also have to wear robes, but I could so do without them. Fashion disaster much? The pictures here move and talk. It's so cool! Oh yea, and there's flying broomsticks. It is so much fun to fly. Also, there is this thing called apparating, which is like teleportation. I just got my license to apparate. It's amazing. So anyway, enough about me. How is everyone doing? Have you guys met the new slayer yet? What's the what in Sunnyhell? Write me back soon._

_Oh by the way, this is my phoenix, Apollo. Yes, he is a phoenix. They do exist, but they are rare. They tend to choose their owners and he chose me. Please let him rest and feed him before he comes back._

_Love you guys,_

_Buffy_

As she got the easy stuff out of the way, Buffy grabbed another parchment and started writing to her mother.

_Dear Mom,_

_Hello. I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but there is still a lot of hurt and anger towards you. I'm starting to get better, but I need a little more time to forgive you. Also to maybe be forgiven by you. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you everything that went on in my life, but it was the rules of the job. My friends only knew because I happened to save them from vampires the first night out. They decided to join the fight with me and haven't left my side. Giles knew because he is my Watcher. He's the one that prepares me for my upcoming fights. I know that you have a lot of questions still, and maybe the next time I see you we will be able to talk about this. For now, you will have to settle for this vague explanation. You could also ask my friends because they should be able to explain in more detail on what I have been doing for the past two years._

_I know that you always have my best intentions at heart and you never meant for all of this to happen. It was a lot to take in and you didn't understand everything that was going on. Just know that despite everything, I still miss you and love you. You're my mother in every sense of the word and I'll always love you no matter what happens. I just need a little space before I can speak to you again. Write me back to let me know how you are doing. Please remember to be careful at night. Sunnydale is not a safe place. I love you._

_Buffy_

_P.S. This is Apollo, my phoenix. Just tie your letter (if you have one) to his leg and he will get back to me._

Buffy attached both letters to Apollo and said, "Please deliver these to my mother and friends. I want you to drop off my mother's letter first and wait for her response before delivering the other letter. She then gave him a little treat and sent him on his way. 

A few days later, Apollo returned with a couple letters from her mom and the Scoobies. She opened up the first one and read:

_Dear Buffy,_

_I know that you weren't too happy with me because of my reaction when you left. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you. After talking to your friends, I have realized that I was wrong. For now, I will give you your space and let you come to terms with everything. We can talk this out when you come back. I hope you know that no matter what, I will always love you and try to be here for you. I have met the other slayer, Faith. She is a very interesting character. Very headstrong and independent. I think there is much more to her than she lets on. Your friends explained how it happened. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. Why didn't you tell me that you died? I have a daughter who saves the world, dying in the process, and I never even knew her. I don't want Faith to feel like she has no one so I have taken her in and put her into the spare bedroom. Please don't feel like I'm replacing you. I'm not. I just feel like I've failed you and I want to try and make it up by helping Faith. I hope you are doing okay. I love you._

_Mom_

Buffy eyes began to tear up as she finished reading the letter. Oddly, she didn't feel jealous that her mom had someone else to mother. She knew from experience that it was better when a slayer had someone to be there for her through both good times and bad times. She hoped Faith would be able to appreciate that. Next she read the letter from her friends.

_Dear Buffster,_

_We miss you too! Even Cordy. We're happy that you're doing better. Imagine the shock we had when your phoenix appeared. He is a beautiful bird. It's so great that you're learning magic. Willow is surprised that you're actually studying. We've met Faith, the new slayer. We decided to help her out despite what her watcher, Wesley, says. He's kind of an arrogant prick. He's British like Giles and hey like you too, but that's where the similarities end. Xander wants to know if you're going to start drinking tea since you're living in the land of tweed. Faith is very different from you, but she seems pretty cool. She's a little brash and outgoing, but she does a good job. She's definitely not you though. We miss you. Come back soon._

_Love,_

_The Scoobies_

Buffy smiled as she finished with the letter. She really missed them. She was also curious about Faith. She decided that she would talk to Dumbledore about visiting for a weekend since she could apparate now. Maybe Giles would want to join her too.

* * *

The school year was about to start in a couple of weeks and Buffy had completed her lessons admirably. She had taken her OWLS a while back and had done Outstanding in Potions, DADA, Ancient Runes, and Transfiguration. She got an Exceeds Expectations in Charms, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. Arithmancy, Divination, and History of Magic were Acceptable. Her schedule was going consist of all of those subjects at NEWT level except for History of Magic, Divination, and Arithmancy because she found them to be boring.

* * *

Somewhere in the shadows, a short, fat man talking to his master said, "My lord, our sources have told us that the Rambaldi's daughter has returned to the wizarding world and is currently at Hogwart's." 

"Eliza would be a great asset if we can bring her into the fold. I will have Lucius talk to his son about a new student in the seventh year." Lord Voldemort said.

* * *

In a house on Privet Drive, a young man felt his scar burn. _'Voldemort was happy. But why?' _

* * *

Buffy decided that she was going to Diagon Alley to pick up a few last minute things and maybe more books for personal reading. Maybe even look for some new weapons. School started in a couple of days and Buffy wanted to be able to take a little break from her hectic schedule. Between the training and learning magic all summer, she hadn't had any time to herself to just relax. Besides getting more supplies, she just wanted to do a little retail therapy in Diagon Alley. When she got there, she decided to go to the Apothecary to buy more supplies for her potions. She had become adept at making healing potions, which she used for nights after a tough slay. Then she went to Flourish and Blotts to look at some books for leisure. She bought several on demons for Giles that he didn't have. She also bought a couple of books for Willow about the history of magic. Then she went in search for something for Xander and ended up in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She bought a couple of skiving snackboxes that she thought he would appreciate during tests along with canary creams and ton-tongued toffees. She found a couple of beauty potions for Cordy in Madame Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions shop. She decided against buying Oz anything because she'd already planned on giving him some wolfsbane potion that she had learned how to brew during some personal research. 

After buying gifts for her friends, Buffy set out through Knockturn Alley in search of a weapons shop. She found the area to be creepy. She could feel it setting off her senses as she walked through the dark alley. She approached a shop in the corner of the alley and saw that it carried several weapons. In a glass case, she saw a pair of daggers, with intricate patterns on the blades. The handles of each dagger had several symbols etched in them. Buffy asked the shopkeeper, " May I test out these daggers?"

The man at the counter gave her a weird look as if to say _'What's a little girl like you doing playing with these dangerous things?'_ But instead, he just took out them out of the case and handed them to her. When he saw Buffy examining the etchings, he explained that the symbols were for extra protection to the set and that the blades would never need sharpening. When Buffy picked up the daggers, she tested the weight and balance of them and found them to be perfect for concealing in her boot. She told the shopkeeper that she would take them. She figured that she could give one to the new slayer as a type of welcoming present.

On her way out of the alley, she bumped into a tall boy with platinum hair and silver eyes. She apologized. His lip automatically curled into a sneer. He took in her appearance as she was wearing muggle clothing; he automatically assumed she was a muggle-born witch. "Watch where you're going, you filthy mudblood!"

"Hey, I've already said that I was sorry so fuck off!" She sneered back at him.

He looked at this unassuming little girl and immediately tried to intimidate her with his height. "Do you even know who I am little girl? Who my parents are?"

The mention of her size set Buffy off right away. She grabbed the front of his robes and thrust him into the wall with one hand around his neck, staring coldly at him. She could practically smell the fear rolling off of him with her heightened senses. "I don't give a shit who you or your parents are. I've apologized for bumping into you already. You didn't need to insult me too. Now I advise you to take my original apology before you manage to piss me off further." As she said this, she squeezed his neck enough for him to worry about breathing, but not enough for him to pass out. His eyes widened at the pressure around his throat, but he nodded his acceptance. "Good. Now that we've got this sorted out, get out of my sight." She let him go and he ran through the alley. After this Buffy decided to go back to Hogwart's. The day had become exhausting and she just wanted to relax. When she got back to her room, she put her stuff away, sent her friends the gifts she got for them, had a bath, and decided to nap before dinner. She fell asleep wondering what classes would be like once they started.


	6. Meeting On The Train

**Chapter 6 – Meeting On The Train**

Buffy sat in one of the compartments of the train waiting for the arrival of the castle. She really didn't think there was a point in being on the train, but Dumbledore had insisted on it just in case there was trouble. She thought back to that particular conversation:

"Why do I have to be there? It doesn't make any sense to ride the stupid train when all of my stuff is already here at Hogwart's. What is the point? It's just a waste of my time!" Buffy pleaded. She thought it was a dumb idea to get on the train only to come back to the school.

* * *

"_Nonsense, my dear. It will be good for you. You can meet your schoolmates and be there to help defend the students in case something goes wrong. Plus you can get to meet Harry. You will have to work with him eventually. What can be so bad about that?" Dumbledore replied._

_Buffy looked at him in disbelief and groaned loudly. "You do realize that by saying that you just jinxed the whole trip back to the school, don't you? Every time someone says something like that around me, something goes wrong. I'm like a huge badness magnet. It always finds me."_

"_You can't really believe that, Buffy. That's just superstitions." Dumbledore chuckled._

"_Yeah, we'll see how funny it is when I get back." She snarked._

* * *

Now she was aboard the train regretting everything about being there. She started to get bored and decided to wander the around. She had just stepped out when she a familiar looking blonde headed her way. _'It's the guy from the alley!'_ She thought. 

When he saw Buffy, he looked at her nervously. "You! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought that was obvious. I'm going to Hogwart's as a seventh year." Buffy replied sarcastically.

"Name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. Why haven't I seen you before?" Draco asked.

"Buffy Summers. Dumbledore just found me at the beginning of the summer. I completed all of my six years in time to be in seventh year." Buffy said.

"Oh." He took a good look at the blonde in front of him. She was pretty with beautiful hazel eyes. She was small in stature, but looked like she could have a very nice body underneath of her robes. He could also see that she had been sorted into his house. He wondered about his bad luck. Draco suddenly became wary. He was scared of her even though she was petite in size. Her eyes looked like a predator behind a thin veil. Also, he knew that she could kick his ass. He understood that messing with her in the alley that day was a big mistake. He didn't even know why he did. He sure as hell didn't want to become his father. "I'm sorry about the other day in the alley. I didn't plan on it. I've just been under so much pressure from my father to join the Dark Lord. I was trying to prove to myself that I could do it." He blurted out.

Buffy was aware that he was checking her out and that she made him nervous. She smiled to relax him a little. "I accept your apology. I know that trying to go against your parents is always a hard thing to do especially if you're also trying to avoid the bad guys too."

Draco sighed in relief. "Thanks. I know I don't want to become like my father and I definitely don't want to join You-Know-Who, but I'm afraid to go against my father. I know he wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I didn't join him. My father is already pressing me to take the Dark Mark by Christmas and if I know what's good for me, I'll do it without any objections. I don't know what to do to get out of this mess."

Buffy looked at him sympathetically and said, "I think you should talk to Dumbledore about it. He could help you or find a way to protect you."

Draco gave her a resigned look. "You're probably right about that. I think I'll talk to him tonight after the sorting. Are you going to be there?"

"Yea, but it's against my will. I'm only going because Dumbledore and Giles insist on it. I didn't even want to come on this stupid train ride." Buffy replied.

"Who's Giles? And why do he and Dumbledore insist on you attending these things?" Draco asked.

"Rupert Giles is my parental figure here. He's like a father to me and is sort of my guardian even though I am of age already. He joined me here at Hogwart's to help look out for me and now he is the new DADA teacher. Both him and Dumbledore insist on me attending because they think it would give me a chance to meet my schoolmates and make some friends." Buffy explained.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you did make this trip. There really isn't anyone else here that I would be able to talk to without getting laughed at or beaten. To the other houses, especially Gryffindor, I'm the Prince of Slytherin and a pureblood. I'm known for being an asshole and I generally look down at anyone who isn't pureblooded. In my own house, I'm pretty much the leader and people look up to me because of who I am. The Malfoys are set to certain standards and it wouldn't do to embarrass the family name. So because of all the pressure of being a Malfoy, I need to act a certain way towards the other houses in order to gain respect in my own house. Also, I do it to make sure my own ass is safe from any sort of punishment that might happen if I show any type of friendship towards the other houses. There is a lot of tension between Slytherin and any other house, especially Gryffindor. There's a rivalry that has been there forever, but also because Saint Potter and I don't get along. In the beginning, I tried to be his friend by cutting down his now best friends, but of course he didn't care for those remarks and blew me off. I admit that the only reason I tried was because my father made me. He wanted to try to get Potter on the dark side because he was the only one known to have defeated You-Know-Who and with him on the Dark Lord's side, there wouldn't be anything standing in the way. This was before You-Know-Who had actually been resurrected, but all of the Death Eaters had hoped their leader would be back and were preparing for it, especially my father. I also admit that maybe my attempt to making Potter my friend wasn't exactly sincere and he pretty much knew it, but we really have never clicked. We can't even keep a civil conversation to each other or any of our friends. I call him and his two other friends, Weasley and Granger, the Golden Trio. They act like they're so perfect and they always get away with everything. Plus they are so judgmental, thinking that they are always right and there's only good and bad, but no in between. They don't know what it's like to have grown up in a house where your family is known for their dark wizards and having been put in that same stereotype. They also don't know what it is like to fear for you own life in your own home. I'm pretty sure Potter's life hasn't been a picnic, but at least he doesn't have to worry that his own father might kill him for disobeying an order. Yea, the Dark Lord killed his parents, but it's better to have parents willing to die for you than to have those willing to let you die for a stupid cause. The thing that bothers me the most is that he acts like he is the only one with big problems and that everyone should feel sorry for him, but there are others who have to deal with their own shitty lives too. They just don't cry about like he does. Many of the other Slytherins go through the same pressures that I do, but we keep all of our problems in our house and present a united front to the school. There are also those who choose to follow in their parents' footsteps like my own friends Crabbe and Goyle. They've already taken the mark and are assuming I will soon. I don't really think of them as true friends or anyone else in the house for that matter, but that's due to the fact that it's hard to tell who is on your side or not. I keep them around more for appearances rather than actual friendship." Draco was relieved to be able to talk about this stuff without fear. He hoped she would end up being a real friend.

Buffy took everything Draco had just told her and said, "Sounds to me like you're a little jealous." Draco scowled. "I'm not saying that some of your resentment isn't justified because it does sound like everyone gives him a break because of who he is: The Boy Who Lived." Then she saw Draco's face and laughed. "Oh, stop pouting."

Draco saw her laughing at him and knew he was acting ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. He finally relented and smiled sheepishly. "You're right. I just can't help it. Saint Potter just pisses me off with his holier-than-thou attitude." Just as he said that, he spotted the Golden Trio, Ginny Weasley, and Neville Longbottom walking down the corridor. "Oh great," he muttered.

Buffy heard this and looked in the same direction as Draco and saw who was coming. There was a young man with messy, black hair, green eyes, glasses, and a lightening bolt scar on his forehead. '_This must be Harry Potter'._ Walking with him was a girl with bushy, brown hair, a tall, redheaded boy, another tall, awkward boy with dark hair, and another girl with red hair and an air of innocence to her. She immediately reminded Buffy of Willow.

"Malfoy." Harry bit out tersely. Harry noticed the pretty blonde wearing Slytherin robes and looking amused next to Draco. He looked towards Buffy with a question in his eyes. "Who's your new girlfriend?" He sneered.

"Well, if it isn't Saint Potter and his entourage." Draco drawled out. "She's a new seventh year. Her name is Buffy Summers. And she is not my girlfriend." Draco replied. He turned to Buffy and said, "Summers, meet Saint Potter, Weasel, also known as Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ms. Know-It-All, Weasel's sister, Ginny and Neville Longbottom." The group before him flushed red with an angry glint in their eyes.

"Buffy? What kind of name is that anyway?" Ron scoffed.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at his comment and coldly replied, "It's mine and my mother gave it to me. Do you have a problem with that asshole?"

Never having anyone talk to him like that before had Ron shrinking away, but Hermione stepped up in between Buffy and Ron. "Hey, don't talk to him like that!"

Buffy decided she was already irritated with three of these newcomers. First, they interrupt her and Draco's conversation like they have a right to. Then they act like they're so important that they needed an introduction. Now after insulting her name, they were making her out to be the bad guy because she defended herself. "Well maybe he should keep his damn mouth shut! He doesn't even know me and he's already insulting me. What the hell is your guys' problem?" As she said this, the train came to a stop and three vampires came crashing through the back of the train. Buffy immediately switched into a fighting stance and pulled out a stake. "Wow! This is the best new school welcoming committee I've ever had." She retorted.

Both Draco and the newcomers looked at her in wonder. Draco, because he new she was stronger than she looked and that she was probably planning some kind of confrontation with these vampires, and the newcomers because they couldn't belief these little girl wasn't afraid of the vampires.

The leader of the vamps replied, " Ooh. Look at what we have here. Just because we're so hospitable, you get to be the first to get a bite."

"How lucky for me. Too bad the only thing you'll get to bite is the dust." Buffy quipped. The vampires focused on the blonde girl insulting them and knew she would be their first victim. They were wrong. The leader lunged for Buffy, but she sidestepped him and immediately staked him from the back. He gave her a surprised look just before he turned into dust. The other vamps took this as their cue to attack her for killing their leader, but were surprised that Buffy could fight back. She kicked one towards the other end of the hall, and elbowed the other one in the face knocking him back so she could throw her stake into his heart. She then stalked to the vampire she had kicked to the end of the hall and cast a body binding spell on him. This had just set Buffy's bad mood off even further than before. She was already annoyed that she had to be on this stupid train to the castle in the first place. It escalated to major irritation upon meeting Harry Potter and his irritating friends, but now she was pissed because of the vamps attacking the train. '_She just knew something like this was going to happen the minute Dumbledore open his mouth.' _Buffy picked up the last remaining vampire and punched him in the face. "Who sent you! Was it Voldemort?" She demanded. Everyone except Harry winced at her use of the name.

"Like I would ever tell you, little girl." He scoffed.

One thing that Buffy hated was to be called little. The vamp was about to find out what happened if you did make that mistake. She grabbed her stake and stabbed him in the chest next to his heart, but not quite there. He cried out in pain. "I believe I asked you a question. Now give me an answer." Then she punched him again harder than before. She then proceeded to twist the stake slowly, drawing out the pain. He screamed in agony.

When she stopped, he asked in pain, "Who are you?"

"Buffy Summers." She replied before backhanding him. "Answer the question before I get even more creative." After saying this, Buffy withdrew a dagger from her robes and held it to his throat.

The vampire widened his eyes at her name, "Slayer!" He knew that he was going to be dusted no matter what. There was no hope in escaping this alive knowing it was the slayer that held him. It was a question of if he wanted to be tortured first or having a quick, painless demise. He chose the latter. "Yes, the Dark Lord sent us to attack the train in hopes of finding Eliza Rambaldi, the seventeen year old daughter of two of his most loyal supporters. He wants her to join him because of her immense power. Together they can rule the wizarding world." There were gasps at the mention of the name Rambaldi. They were almost as feared as You-Know-Who.

Upon hearing her birth name, Buffy cringed inwardly. She somehow knew that her identity would be discovered soon. She just didn't expect it to be this quickly. This vampire had unknowingly uncovered her identity even if he didn't quite know it was actually her he was sent to find. It was pretty obvious who Eliza was being that she was the only new seventh year on the train. "Thanks." She said before withdrawing the stake from his chest and plunging it into his undead heart. She turned around to see several pairs of accusing eyes in Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Draco looked amazed, while Ginny and Neville looked somewhat timid.

"Bloody hell! Who are you! No one should be able to do what you just did, especially not someone as tiny as you." Ron asked.

"You're the one they were looking for! You're Eliza Rambaldi." Hermione shouted. She had picked up on the age of girl the vampires were supposed to find, added two and two, and came up with four.

Buffy just looked at everyone and said, " Who I am is none of your business. Now fuck off!"

"Well, I think it is my business to know about things involving Voldemort." The others cringed at hearing Harry say the name. "He is out to kill me. I should know about any potential threats."

"Yea, how do we know you aren't going to try and kill Harry? Your parents are after all two of the most feared Death Eaters. You could be following in their footsteps." Ron chimed in.

"You don't, but I don't really care if you feel like you have the right to know. I just fought three vamps and now I'm tired." Buffy said annoyed. She then made a move to go back into her compartment only to be blocked by both Ron and Harry. "Move, or I will do it for you." They both refused, but found themselves being picked up and thrown to the other side, hitting their heads against the wall and effectively knocking them out.

"Hey, you can't do that. As the Head Girl, I'm taking away fifty points from your house. When I tell the headmaster what you did, you're going to be in even more trouble." Hermione threatened.

"Oh, shut up! Tell Dumbledore whatever you like, but I don't really give a shit. I'm tired and I'm going back to my compartment. Don't fuck with me! Come on, Drake. Let's get out of here." Buffy snapped and walked away. Draco, who had been watching the exchange in amusement, followed her. _'Damn, she's my hero!' _He thought.

Hermione jaw dropped at the blonde's audacity. Ginny and Neville just watched in awe at the events that had transpired.

* * *

As Buffy and Draco entered the compartment, Buffy sighed in relief. "I can see why you hate them. They're so goddamn self-righteous it's irritating. Saint Potter is actually an accurate description. He really is full of himself. Ron and Hermione are just as irritating. They are so nosy like they have the right to know everything. Neville and Ginny seemed alright though. They hardly said anything." 

"That's because they were afraid. Honestly, Longbottom is ok except for the fact that he is hopeless as a wizard. He screws up all the time. He also gets nervous easily which is why he is an easy target to be picked on. Weasel's sister, Ginny is a year younger than us and she's alright. Even though you will never be able to prove that I said this, Ginny is a sweet girl with a bit of a fiery temper. She's cute. Her and Potter dated last year, but he broke up with her towards the end of the year." Draco informed her.

"Don't worry. Your sterling reputation as a badass is still intact. God forbid anyone find out that it's all an act." Buffy teased.

The train finally made its arrival to the school. All of the students were ushered into the castle to settle down and begin the sorting ceremony. As soon as she got to the castle, she looked for Giles. She told him about the vampire attack and the reason for the attack. They both agreed to talk to Dumbledore after the ceremony.

* * *

Buffy found herself sitting at the Slytherin table next to Draco during the ceremony. She saw the Golden Trio sitting at the Gryffindor table giving her glares from across the room. She smirked back at them. Draco saw the exchange and laughed. 

Professor McGonagall walked towards a stool in the front of the hall with a tattered hat in her hand and first years in tow. She placed the hat on the stool and it burst into song. Many of the first years gasped in shock. When it was done singing, McGonagall called the first years up one by one to be sorted by the hat.

After the sorting, Dumbledore chose that moment to stand up to make several announcements. "First of all, I would like to address the attack on the train. Voldemort has allied himself with many demons, vampires included. I'm very sorry for this breach in safety. You are students and your parents put their trust into me to make sure that your safety is always intact. Luckily, there was someone to put a stop to this attack." As he said this, he looked at Buffy. "Next, I would like to announce the new Defense Against The Dark Arts professor, Rupert Giles." Giles stood up as his name was announced. "Please make him feel welcome. Also, I would like to introduce the newest seventh year student, Miss Buffy Summers. Miss Summers, could you please stand up?" Buffy sighed and stood up and sat down quickly. "Now I would just like to warn you of the dangerous times we are in so that means no sneaking around the school grounds at night. Also, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to first years. This is for everyone's safety. Lastly, let the feast begin. Everyone eat up!" Dumbledore clapped his hands and food appeared on the tables. All of the new students shouted in surprise at the food popping up out of nowhere.

* * *

Later that night, Buffy was in her room when Professor Snape knocked on her door. "Summers, the headmaster would like to see you in his office to discuss the events on the train. Please follow me." He led Buffy down through the passageway and eventually stopped in front of a gargoyle. "Chocolate frogs." The gargoyle moved and a stairway appeared. Buffy and Snape stopped in front of Dumbledore's office and knocked. 

"Please come inside." Dumbledore called through the door.

As they stepped in, Buffy saw Giles already sitting there. "Hello, Buffy. Severus."

"Giles." She greeted.

"Rupert." Snape responded.

"So Miss Summers, could you please explain the events on the train?" Dumbledore inquired.

Buffy began to explain how the vamps appeared, the fight, the interrogation, and why they were attacking. "So basically, the vamps and I fought. They lost. Voldie wants me to join his evil empire. Oh, and I met Harry and company. I'm not impressed. I can't believe what pain in the asses they all are!"

"Buffy!" Giles chided.

"Summers, that is exactly what I have been saying for years about Potter and his friends. Finally, someone else says it!" Snape smirked. _'She just made my day!'_

"What? I'm serious. They interrupted my conversation with Draco, insulted me without knowing me, and accused me of being evil when they realized who my real parents were. Then when I tried to leave, the two idiot boy wonders tried to stop me. I was tired from fighting the vamps and was already past my limit of patience so I threw them against the wall. Hermione tried to read me the riot act, but I told her that I could really care less." Buffy elaborated.

Giles took off his glasses and started to clean them. "Buffy, I know that you don't like them, but the prophesy states that you will have to learn how to work with Harry in order to defeat Voldemort."

"You're right. I don't like them, but I will eventually try to work with the Self-Important One Who Lived. However, I refused to let them ridicule me." Buffy said heatedly. "They are so judgmental that they think they have a right to know my business. They don't." Buffy then turned to Dumbledore and said, "Can I just say I told you so? I knew something would happen. 'Meet Harry,' he says. 'Could be good for me,' he says. Right. Being accused of evil tendencies and attacked by vamps are great for my health."

"I'm sorry, Buffy. You were right." Dumbledore apologized. "Now, I believe…" He stopped at the knock on the door. "Come in."

Just then Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered. "Professor Dumbledore, we found out something about the new girl! She's…" Harry stopped at finally realizing who was in the office with Dumbledore.

"Potter! Granger! Weasley! What are you three doing here?" Snape sneered.

"We came to talk to Professor Dumbledore, sir." Hermione said.

"Well since you are here, why don't you tell me now?" Dumbledore inquired gently.

"But what about…" Hermione started.

"Nonsense. Now tell me." Dumbledore interrupted.

"She's the daughter of the Rambaldi's! They're the most feared Death Eaters known. She's has to be evil and she'll kill Harry!" Ron blurted out.

Both Giles and Buffy scowled at the accusation. Snape scoffed at the stupidity of the Golden Trio. Dumbledore looked amused. "Mr. Weasley, I can assure you that Miss Summers is not evil, nor will she kill Harry."

"But she threw Ron and I against the wall and knocked us out." Harry said.

"Yea, and she got rid of the vamps on her own. Look at her; she's a little girl. She shouldn't be able to do things like that." Ron dropped in.

"How do we know she's not here to spy for You-know-Who? I heard the vampires call her Slayer. Isn't she dangerous?" Hermione added. "Shouldn't she be punished for at least knocking out Harry and Ron?"

"On the contrary, she showed much courage facing off the vampires and protecting everyone, including you three. I'm replacing the points you took away from Slytherin and adding 10 more. Also, Harry and Ron should know better than assume that she is defenseless when she had just taken out three vampires. The vampires called Buffy, Slayer, as in Vampire Slayer. She's here to help. She doesn't owe any of you any explanations." Dumbledore responded.

Ron and Hermione gasped at hearing Buffy's official title. They had all learned about vampire slayers in DADA. Giles scowled at hearing Buffy's identity uncovered. Snape just continued smirking. He was finding this whole situation amusing. Buffy was beyond irritated with these three busybodies that she had the misfortune to meet. What was worse was the fact that she eventually needed to work with Harry.

"But what about the prophecy? Shouldn't I have the right be told everything in order to win this fight? I'm the only one who can do this. I'm of age and I shouldn't be treated like a child!" Harry shouted.

"Well, aren't you full of yourself? Prophecy! Oh please!" Buffy scoffed.

"What would you know about it? You're just some blonde bimbo! You don't know what it is like to be me!" Harry said acidly.

At hearing this, Buffy laughed bitterly. "Ha! I know more than you think. You aren't the only one with a prophecy. So I'm sorry if I'm not in the least bit sympathetic towards you."

"What…" Harry trailed off in confusion.

Dumbledore took that moment to explain the full prophecy to everyone in the room and how Buffy and Harry was the key to Voldemort's end. He also told them that he had already known Buffy's real name and the reason she was at Hogwart's was for her help as well as her safety. The Golden Trio eventually left after accepting Dumbledore's explanation, but were still suspicious of Buffy.

"Now back to what I was saying before we were interrupted. I believe that it is time to introduce Buffy and Rupert to the Order." Dumbledore stated.

They all decided that there would be a meeting in two days at Grimmauld Place so Buffy and Giles could meet the Order and get caught up in what was going on.


	7. School Begins

**AN: Sorry I've taken so long to update. I've been trying to get this chapter together for a while, but I've been having problems trying to figure it out. I'm not sure if I'm actually happy with it, but it will have to do for now. Don't worry about me never finishing the story because it will end up being completed sooner or later. I'm just not sure of when. I will also try to get another chapter up before Christmas. It will be like an early Christmas present for everyone. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. **

**Chapter 7- School Begins**

The next day, Buffy woke up and began to get ready for classes. Her first class was DADA with the Gryffindors. _'Joy! I'll get to see the Self-Important One and his entourage!'_ She thought. She made her way to the dining hall for breakfast where she saw Draco already eating. Buffy sat down next to him and started eating some cereal for breakfast. "Hey Drake, how's your morning so far?"

"Not bad. How about you?"

"Good. So did you get a chance to tell Professor Dumbledore of your problem?"

"No, I was busy unpacking my things and forgot all about it. I'm going to do it today though. Will you come with me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. Looking forward to DADA?" He asked.

"Yea, I guess. I mean, I already know about the Dark Arts and it is one of my better subjects, but Giles does tend to be boring sometimes. Plus, we have it with the Most Annoying One. Definitely not looking forward to see those assholes."

"I know what you mean. I like the subject, but I find the company a disappointment. Granger is the worst because she always acts like she knows everything. Also, that teaching position is cursed. There has never been a professor to be in that position for more than just a year. They're usually evil or get fired somehow."

"Really? That's weird. Well, actually maybe not considering where I went to school before I came here. Lots of weird stuff happened in Sunnydale. I don't think it will change much. Giles is here mostly for me since he is my acting guardian, but who knows? He might like the job and maybe will get asked to stay. Even though I've never grown up around magic, I might stay in the magical community after graduation."

"Why wouldn't you?" Draco wondered. He didn't think there was a better world away from magic.

"Well as much as I like it here, my mom lives in Sunnydale and so do my friends. I don't really have any obligations there, but I do miss my mom and friends. I don't really know anyone in the magic world and it's not like everyone will be so accepting of me when they realize who my birth parents are."

"I guess I can understand that, but I don't think I could live in a world without using my magic."

"Yea, but you have to remember that I didn't grow up around magic so it really wouldn't bother me as much. Things back home are crazy enough that using magic wouldn't be too much of a shock with my friends." Buffy stated.

"Why not?"

"Well, remember the vampires on the train?" Draco nodded. "They called me the Slayer, as in Vampire Slayer." Buffy explained.

Draco's eyes widened with realization. "I remember now! They taught us about slayers in DADA. It makes sense now. The way you fought them and how strong you are."

"Yep, my life has been in the supernatural world for a while now that magic doesn't really faze me. My friends wouldn't be shocked either since they known about the supernatural world since they've met me. Sunnydale is a hellmouth so pretty much anything can happen."

"Weird."

"Tell me about it." Finally, they finished their breakfast and left for class.

* * *

Buffy and Draco arrived to class to see the Golden Trio already sitting down. They scowled all looked to the door and scowled. Buffy ignored them, while Draco smirked. She looked at the front of the classroom and saw Giles sitting at his desk waiting to start class. "Good Morning, Giles!" She smiled at him. Hermione gasped at Buffy's casual use of a professor's name. Buffy just rolled her eyes. 

"Good Morning, Buffy." He replied. "Well now that everyone is here, let me introduce myself once again. My name is Rupert Giles and I am your DADA professor. I am also what you call a muggle. While I have extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts, I do not have any magic within myself. Because of this, I have decided to give you all extra time to practice spells in the classroom. Also, we might have little duels every once in awhile to see how much you have practiced." All of the students seemed to brighten up from that last comment. The past years of DADA had been a disaster and hopefully this teacher would work out. "Now let's start off with vampires since there were some that attacked the train. What are the ways to kill or repel a vampire?"

Hermione's hand shot up to answer the question. Giles motioned for her to speak. "Direct sunlight, beheading, and a stake through the heart will kill it. A cross and holy water will repel them."

"Very good, Ms. Granger. 10 points goes to Gryffindor. Does anyone else know other ways to kill vampires?"

Buffy raised her hand with a smirk on her face. "Buffy?"

"Well, if you can get them to do it, swallowing enough holy water will also kill them. Also, fire could also kill them. Garlic is rumored to repel them, but I think it's just because of their acute sense of smell that makes them unable to be around the strong scent of garlic. I've always found that method of repelling to be ineffective." She answered.

"Good. What are some of the characteristics of vampires?"

Buffy shot up her hand and was asked to answer. "When the human is turned, their soul leaves the body and a demon is replaced. They are basically, reanimated corpses. All of their natural abilities are enhanced. They are faster, stronger, and have of better sense of smell, hearing, and sight than humans. They also stop aging from the time they are turned."

"Very good. 10 points will be awarded to Slytherin. What is they process of turning a human into a vampire?"

Neville raised his hand to answer. "In order to turn a human, the vampire must drain the body of all of their blood, and then right before they die, the vampire must feed its own blood to the victim. The amount of blood given determines how fast the body will awaken and how strong they will be."

"Correct. 10 more points to Gryffindor. Now does anyone know who were the four ruthless vampires known as the Scourge of Europe?" Giles asked.

Both Buffy and Hermione shot their hands up, but Buffy was a little faster. "Yes Buffy?"

"They were all part of the Order of Aurelius that was headed by the Master. He sired Darla in 1609. Darla sired a young Irish man named Liam who became known as Angelus because of his angelic face. Angelus sired Drusilla in 1860, but not before he killed all of her family and drove her insane. The last member of the group was a young poet who became known as William the Bloody. He was turned in 1880 by Drusilla, but refers to Angelus as his sire because he was the one who taught him how to be a true vampire. For almost twenty years they caused havoc around Europe and Asia until 1898. Angelus killed a girl from a gypsy clan and was cursed with a soul. He later left his family because he could not deal with the guilt from his past deeds and referred to himself as Angel. William the Bloody became known as Spike because he would torture his victims with railroad spikes. He also has a fascination for slayers and has killed two already. After Angel left, Darla went back to the Order and both Spike and Drusilla have been together since traveling the world and causing disaster." Buffy responded.

Everyone was in shock, including Giles at Buffy's extensive knowledge of the Scourge of Europe. He didn't think she actually researched them when they went up against them earlier that year. "Excellent. Because Buffy offered more information than I was looking for, I will award Slytherin with 20 points. 10 points for the correct answer and 10 more for the extra information." Giles stated.

This caused the Gryffindors' faces to fall because usually they got most of the points due to Hermione. Hermione looked especially jealous. No one else could ever beat her for the answers in class nor could they give so much information in their answers. Buffy and the rest of the Slytherins just smirked.

When class ended, Buffy and Draco waited for everyone to leave the classroom before approaching Giles.

"Hey, Watcher mine! Can we ask for your advise on something?" Buffy asked her mentor.

"Buffy!" Giles scowled at the use of the title.

"What? Don't worry about Drake, he knows about me being the Slayer."

"Really Buffy, do secret identities mean nothing to you?" Giles asked exasperated.

"Well I try, but I can't help it. Honest. It's like a disease. Hey, maybe I need to get some help for that. Maybe like group therapy. You know like A.A., but called I.A. for Identities Anonymous. Ooh… maybe there's a class I can go to like Secret Identities 101 or a book like _Secret Identities for Dummies_." Buffy wisecracked.

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "What do you two need my opinion on?"

"Drake's dad is trying to get him to take the Dark Mark soon." Buffy explained. Then Draco gave Giles the details on his life and how his father was pressuring him. Giles listened while Draco described the way he was treated by his own father before giving his opinion.

"I believe it would be a good idea to ask for Dumbledore's help. I know that neither one of you wants to hear this, but maybe we can use this to our advantage. Buffy, can you apparate us into the headmaster's office?"

"Wait! I thought that there wasn't anyone who could do that? Hogwart's is supposed to be protected from wizards trying to apparate inside of the school." Draco asked confused.

"I guess in theory no one IS able to, but I'm a lot more powerful than just anyone." Buffy said cheekily. Then she grabbed both Giles and Draco and apparated.

* * *

The three of them appeared in front of the elderly headmaster who didn't seem startled at the intrusion. It was almost like he had been expecting them. 

"Hello everyone, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore greeted them.

"Sir, I need your help. My father wants me to take the Mark, but I don't want to be like him. I wanted to know what you think I should do." Draco blurted out. He proceeded to tell Dumbledore everything he knew about Voldemort and how his father wanted him to join the Death Eaters.

When Draco was done explaining, Dumbledore told him, "Draco, I'm glad that you found the courage to ask for my help. It can't be easy to be in your position and it must be very dangerous for you to go against your father."

"Thank you, Professor. What do you think I should do?" Draco asked.

"If I may, I might have a suggestion." Giles stated.

"Continue on Rupert. What are your thoughts?" Dumbledore inquired.

"I think Draco should take the Dark Mark." Giles said.

"What! Giles, are you crazy?" Buffy barked. "It's dangerous."

"It's no more dangerous than him going against his father. Getting the mark will offer him protection from his father and Voldemort, at least more protection than if he were to resist. Plus he could let us know what is happening with the Death Eaters. Like a spy." Giles clarified for them.

"Well, the Order already has a spy, but I can see your point. It might be prudent to have another spy in Voldemort's ranks. I know Lucius is one of Voldemort's top men so if Draco were to join, he might be able to get more information from his father than Severus would. However, it is all Draco's choice. If he doesn't think he can do it, I will offer my protection to him anyway." Dumbledore offered. He looked at Draco thoughtfully.

Draco thought about it for a while. _'Can I pull this off? If my father or any other Death Eater found out that I was betraying them, they would kill me. On the other hand, if I do this, I might finally be able to help put a stop to this war and live without fear. If I choose not to do this, Professor Dumbledore will still help me, but I would feel like a coward. Can I really just turn my back on my family? Yes, because they're evil and I don't want to become something that I hate.'_ Finally, after weighing all of his options, he said, "I'll do it."

"Are you serious? It's too dangerous!" Buffy cried out.

"Buffy, I'm in danger no matter what I do. If I go against my father, he wouldn't stop looking for me until I was dead. If I join, even though it's dangerous, at least I wouldn't have to worry about him trying to kill me. This could be a chance for me to finally help to end the war instead of becoming a monster, which is what would have happened if I didn't meet you. If it weren't for your friendship, I wouldn't have had the strength to do this and I would have eventually given in."

"Well if you're going to spy for the Order, then so am I." Buffy stated.

"Absolutely not!" Giles shouted.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

"It's too dangerous." Giles said.

"Hello, I'm the Slayer. Danger comes with my job. I'm more qualified to be a spy than Drake is and you know it. If you're going to allow him to do it, then I'm going to do it too. I refuse to leave my friend in a situation where I wouldn't be able to protect him. At least this way I could help and still look out for him. Think about it… Voldy would love to have me in his ranks because of my power and who my real parents are. He would love to have the Slayer as his tool. Voldy is already after me and joining him would give me the same type of protection as Drake. I wouldn't have to worry too much about him trying to kill me. C'mon, Watcher mine. You know I'm right." Buffy argued.

Giles gave a resigned sigh. "You're right, but I don't like it. I would hate for anything to happen to you." He relented.

"I know, and I love you for it, but I'm still doing this." Buffy insisted.

"Buffy, are you sure you want to do this?" Draco asked.

"Yes. You're my friend and I can take care of myself. This is what I was meant to do anyway. Rid the world of evil. Plus I can't let you do this alone. If you don't have anyone to help support you, you tend to lose your need to fight. I don't want that for you." She answered.

"Ok if you're both sure about this, then I suggest we introduce Draco to the Order the same time we introduce you and Rupert." Dumbledore addressed Buffy. "Also, Voldemort is a skilled legilimens and Draco needs to know how to defend himself against that. Buffy, since you are already a master at both Legilimency and Occlumency, you can help to teach him with Professor Snape. Also, you might want to teach him some self-defense methods and practice dueling with him. You two will be in constant danger and I would feel much better if I know that you will be prepared for this mission."


	8. Meeting the Order

**AN: I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who likes my story. If you don't like it, then I suggest you stop reading it. I'm not going to change my story for anyone. For those of you who give positive reviews, thanks. Those who like to criticize how I choose to write it, please keep your comments and concerns to yourselves. Here is another chapter for interested readers as promised. Happy Holidays!**

**Chapter Eight – Meeting the Order**

Buffy, Giles, and Draco stood in the street looking at a row of houses. Dumbledore had given them some piece of paper and told them to meet the Order at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. They were currently seeing Number Eleven and Number Thirteen, but couldn't find Number Twelve. A thought dawned on Giles when he said, "Dear lord, I completely forgot. Professor Dumbledore told me when he gave me the paper that we needed to look at the address on the paper and read it out loud in order to see the house."

"Thanks for mentioning it right away, Giles." Buffy said oozing with sarcasm.

"Sorry. It completely slipped my mind." Giles responded sheepishly.

The trio standing in the street followed Dumbledore's instructions and looked to the row of houses only to find Number Twelve sitting there like it had been visible the whole time. They walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. It was answered by an older looking, redheaded woman with a kind face. "Hello, you must be the new additions to the Order." She looked at Buffy and Giles curiously before turning to Draco, shock forming on her face. "I'm surprised to see you here Mr. Malfoy. I'm assuming that you no longer want to follow in your father's footsteps?"

"No, ma'am." Draco responded politely.

Molly nodded before addressing Buffy and Giles. She stuck out her hand to Giles and introduced herself, "Molly Weasley. And you two are?"

Giles took her hand and answered, "Rupert Giles, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwart's." He indicated with his hand towards his slayer and introduced her. "This is my charge, Buffy Summers."

Buffy took Molly's hand and shook it carefully. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. It's nice to meet new faces in these dark times. Please come in." Molly told them as she opened the door wider to allow them entry. "Everyone is here waiting to meet you."

The three strangers stepped in through the doorway and allowed themselves to be led into to the living room where they saw several different people, including Professors McGonagall and Snape, as well as Dumbledore. There were also a bunch of redheads, which they could only assume were the rest of the Weasley family judging from what they've seen from Ron's hair and now from Molly's hair. They also noticed a badly scarred wizard with a limp and an eye that seemed to rotate all the way around. There was another wizard that looked almost sickly, but seemed reserved and had a sense of calm surrounding him. His presence shouted at Buffy's spidey sense as if there was something else in him besides the magic. She quickly realized what it was, a werewolf. She made a mental note to talk to him later. They were quickly introduced to everyone.

Out of everyone in the Order, there were only two others that were close in Buffy's age, the Weasley twins. They immediately saw a pretty face and decided to introduce themselves.

"Well, hello there gorgeous!" They both chimed together.

Buffy liked them immediately. She saw the mischievous twinkle in their eyes and found it infectious.

"Hello, I'm Buffy." She said.

"This is Gred. I'm Forge." One of the twins pointed to his brother first, then at himself.

Then his twin grinned and said, "No, no. He's Gred. I'm Forge."

"Boys! That's enough. Introduce yourselves properly!" Molly cut in.

"Yes, ma'am." They both said. Then one of the twins said, "I'm Fred."

"I'm George." The other dropped in not wanting to be left out.

"Nice to meet you guys." Then she turned to Draco and introduced him. "This is Drake, but I think you've already met him."

Both of the Weasley twins scowled at Draco and made him wince.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" The one who called himself George said with hostility in his voice.

"Yea. Are here to spy on us for your daddy?" Fred snarked.

Draco could feel his anger start to rise and he knew that he was one step away from using his usual methods of defense: spiteful sarcasm. Buffy felt the anger coming off of her friend and quickly tried to defuse the situation.

"Whoa, hold on here guys! Drake isn't the bad guy here. He wants to help." She told them.

"How do we know for sure that he is telling the truth?"

"Yea, what if this is just a plan to spy for You-Know-Who?"

"It's not a lie. He is under pressure to join Voldy and he doesn't want to become like his father so he asked Dumbledore for help. Dumbledore believes him and agreed to help him."

After hearing that Dumbledore trusted Draco, the twins decided to give him a chance, though it was a wary one. They decided to turn their attentions to the pretty, new girl instead.

"So tell us---" Fred started out.

"What is a---" George continued on.

"Pretty girl like you---"

"Doing here at a---"

"Order meeting. Did you just come---"

"Here for moral support---"

"For your boyfriend, Malfoy?"

"You should just---"

"Dump him and---"

"Join us instead because you're---"

"Way too beautiful to---"

"Be with the likes of him." They both finished off together and grinned.

Buffy laughed at their antics while Draco just scowled at them.

"Thanks, but Drake's not my boyfriend. We're just friends."

Both of the twins looked at her incredulously and said, "Friends? Malfoy has a friend?" "How did you and that prat become friends?"

Buffy told them how she met Draco in Knockturn Alley and how they met up again on the train. The twins roared when they found out that Draco was one-upped by this little girl. She also told them about meeting the Golden Trio and how she hadn't been too impressed with the savior of the wizarding world or his groupies.

"Sorry about Ron. He's always been a bit of a pillock. He can be real hot-tempered, but he's loyal to a fault. Harry has bit more reason for not trusting you since he's been almost killed ever since birth. Plus he and Malfoy have never gotten along. As for Hermione, she's probably just following their lead." Fred stated.

"Don't worry about it. I get why they are like that, but it's still rude. They don't even know me and they were already making with the judging because of the house I'm in. Not cool. Anyway, tell me about yourselves. I can tell you guys are troublemakers. You both kind of remind me of my friend Xander." Buffy said.

The twins then told her about their last year at Hogwart's and how they left with a bang. They also told her about how they owned a joke shop. At hearing them mention the joke shop, she realized that they were the ones that owned the one where she had bought the stuff for Xander. She complimented them on how great everything she had bought from them was.

"So what brings you both to the Order's meeting?" George asked.

"We are joining to help with the war against old Moldy-Shorts." Buffy replied.

This use of the name made the twins burst out into laughter, which had the other members of the order look at them inquisitively. However, this prompted Dumbledore to start the meeting. He explained how the new arrivals were joining the Order. He told the members of how Draco and Buffy would be acting as spies with Snape, but it was more for a sense of protection for them. Everyone understood why Draco would be an ideal choice since his father was a well-known Death Eater and acting as a spy would give him a little more security than if he went against his father. No one could understand why Buffy would also be a spy.

"Albus, why would we bring a little girl to spy for us as well?" The scarred wizard known as Mad-Eye asked condescendingly.

Giles looked at his charge and watched her face turn furious at being called a "little girl." _'Oh dear.'_ He took off his glasses and started to polish them with his shirt.

'_Uh oh.'_ Draco thought. _'Wrong move.'_

"I---" Buffy began heatedly.

"Ah Alastor, I can assure you that Buffy is much more powerful than she looks. Even you can agree that appearances can be deceiving, hmm?" Dumbledore cutting in before a fight could occur.

"Yes, but what is so special about her that we also need her to spy?"

"Buffy is the Slayer and a very talented witch. Also known as Eliza Rambaldi." Everyone in the Order gasped at the first name, then winced at the next one that was mentioned. "Voldemort has been looking for her to join his ranks." Dumbledore dropped the bomb. Everyone sat in silence as he continued, "If she acts as spy, then she will have a similar protection that Draco has, plus she can also find out what dark creatures have joined up with him. We won't have to worry about her defending herself if she should need it because I, myself, have taught her the art of magical dueling, legilimency, and occlumency. She is a master at them all and will be fine. She along with Severus will work with Draco on those skills to help prepare him too."

"A slayer? But I thought they were myths?" The sickly looking man who was known as Remus Lupin interrupted.

"Since I happen to be standing right here, I'm pretty damn sure I'm not a fricken myth, Mr. Werewolf." Buffy said derisively. She was still pissed from the "little girl" comment.

The Order looked at her in shock because no one had mentioned that he was a werewolf and since she was still new to the wizarding world, they didn't see how she could have known what he was. Snape seemed to smirk at Buffy's comment.

"How did you know?" Remus asked, still shocked.

"You set off my spidey-senses the minute I walked into the house." Buffy explained.

"Spidey- senses?" Remus asked.

"Yea. I'm a slayer. We can sense things that aren't quite what they seem, especially demons. Don't you think that I would be worthless as a slayer if I couldn't tell if something or someone wasn't quite human? I could sense the magic on all of you, but you gave off something else which is how I knew what you are."

"So, are you planning on slaying me?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Nah, you're basically human for the most of the time. It's only three nights a month when you aren't yourself. Unless you were deliberately hurting someone, I am going to leave you alone. In fact, one of my friends back home is also a werewolf and we usually just lock him up during the full moon."

"You're friends with a werewolf?" Remus asked bewildered.

"Yea, and I've dated a vampire. So?" Buffy said mockingly.

"You dated a vampire?" Mad Eye shouted.

"He had a soul." Buffy defended. "Hey, when you live on the hellmouth, anything can happen. That's normal compared to everything else I've encountered."

"You lived on a hellmouth?" Asked a pink haired witch named Tonks. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"Eh, I guess you get used to it. Tuesdays are the worst though." Buffy mention nonchalantly.

"Tuesdays?"

"Sorry. Inside joke."

"So who's guarding the hellmouth while you're here?" Remus asked.

"The other slayer, Faith. I've never met her, but I hear she's cool. I've been released from my duty to the hellmouth by higher powers so I could be sent here to help in this fight."

"Other slayer? But I thought one could only be called when the other died?" Remus asked confusedly.

"You're not wrong there. Dying's a bitch." Buffy said amused.

"You've died!"

"It was only for like a minute and then my friend saved me with a muggle technique called CPR. There was a prophesy saying that I would die by the hands of The Master. He drowned me and my friend, Xander, saved me. Another slayer was called named Kendra. She was killed, which then called Faith. Anyway, enough on my life in the hellmouth. It would just start with one long story leading into several other longer stories that I have no urge to share. Back to the original question on slaying. I won't harm Remus unless he willingly does harm to innocents. I'm assuming he takes the wolfsbane potion for his condition?" Remus nodded. "Good. I've found that to be useful for my friend, Oz too. Since I've been here, I've learned how to make the wolfsbane potion and sent some to him."

"You know how to make something as complicated and advanced as that? Only Professor Snape knows how to make it." Remus was astonished. The members seemed to be stunned as well.

"What can I say? I guess I'm a natural." Buffy said ironically.

Remus turned to Snape for confirmation and he nodded.

"Yes. Summers here, happens to be my best student. I tested her myself and her potions are always near perfect, if not so. She's much better than that prat Potter or Granger." While he didn't like Buffy's view on werewolves, he respected her and that was enough for him to give her praise.

Mad-Eye stared at Buffy for a long time before finally conceding, "Alright. I guess there is no reason why she couldn't do it. What about Mr. Giles? He doesn't have any magic?"

"Rupert is Buffy's watcher and he has a vast knowledge of the Dark Arts. He will be helpful in a fight against the creatures who have joined Voldemort." Everyone winced again at the name. "He might not have been born with magic, but he is also familiar with Wiccan magic, which can be useful if needed."

"Albus, you can't be serious about letting these children do such a dangerous thing!" Molly cried out.

"Mrs. Weasley, with all due respect. It is not your business on what I choose to do with my life." Draco said politely.

"But---" Molly started.

"No! You don't get it. I am old enough to make my own decisions. If I defy my father openly, then I'm as good as dead. If I become a spy for the Order, then at least I have some form of protection from the Death Eaters. And even if I get hurt or die, at least it was for a purpose and not because I was a coward." Draco said passionately.

"Same goes for me. I am the Slayer. It is my duty help. I refuse to let my friend go in there by himself without anyone to support him through the tough times. Plus Voldemort" Everyone flinched. "is after me anyway. If I join, then I will be somewhat protected and I might be able to help put a stop to his madness." Buffy added.

"It is their choice. They are both of wizarding age and have similar dangers to protect themselves from. If they feel that this is the only way, then let them be." Dumbledore stated.

"Oh, alright then. I guess it isn't up to me." Molly sight defeatedly.

After much debating on how they were going to implant the two students into Voldemort's ranks, they finally came to a conclusion. Draco would join the Death Eaters first to establish himself as a loyal supporter before Christmas since his deadline was almost up. Buffy would remain elusive to capture until after the holidays before allowing herself to be "kidnapped" and swayed into joining the dark side. This would give her time to see her family before having to cut off some ties to them. Everyone agreed that this would seem less suspicious than if they both joined at the same time. The two of them would pass on any information that they learned to Snape instead of coming to every meeting in order to ensure they wouldn't be found out. This also allowed time for Buffy and Draco to prepare before Draco needed to join the Death Eaters.


	9. More Class Filled Fun

**Chapter Nine – More Class-Filled Fun**

One morning Buffy and Draco entered the Slytherin common rooms and saw three boys and two girls sitting on the couches. Two of the boys looked to be more on the heavy-set build and the other one was a tall, muscular build. One of the girls had a pug-face and seemed a bit jealous at Buffy because she came in with Draco. The other girl had a square build with a heavy jaw. To say she was unattractive was being nice. The boys looked at Buffy with appraisal in their eyes. The girls scowled, especially the green-eyed monster.

The tall, muscular boy asked, "Well who is this gorgeous thing?" Up until now, Buffy hadn't really met anyone in her house because she had been too busy helping Draco and training with Giles, plus studying for classes.

Draco stopped to introduce Buffy to the other Slytherins. "Everyone, this is Buffy Summers. She is a new seventh year. Buffy, this is Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and Millicent Bulstrode."

"Hello everyone." Buffy greeted them. Even though Blaise seemed cute, she didn't really feel anything towards his blatant flirting.

The pug-faced girl known as Pansy sneered at the American accent and asked, "What's a mudblood doing in our house? And what kind of name is Buffy anyway?"

"First of all, I'm not a mudblood. Secondly, my mother gave me that name. It's not like Pansy is any better." Buffy defended herself. "Don't get all bitchy with me just because you have a stick up your butt." This caused all of the boys to snicker. Millicent and Pansy looked outraged. No one ever talked like that to Pansy. Pansy went to slap Buffy, but Buffy caught her hand easily and smirked. Pansy looked to Draco for him to defend her, but he just laughed. Pansy turned around in a huff and walked out of the room with Millicent following her on her heels.

"Well, that was pleasant. It was nice meeting you guys, but I think I'll head out too. Coming Drake?" Buffy started to walk out. Draco began to laugh harder as he followed her out.

"Damn, Summers. You just know how to make a first impression on everyone."

"I try." Buffy snarked.

* * *

When Buffy and Draco walked into their potions class that they were having with Gryffindor, they found that the only two empty seats were separated. One was with Zabini and the other was right next to where the Golden Trio sat. Buffy nodded to Draco to take the Slytherin seat as she went to sit next to the Gryffindors. She noticed the Trio scowl as she sat next to Neville Longbottom. 

"Hey, Neville." She greeted him with a smile. She knew that he was a little nervous and wanted him to be more comfortable around her.

"H-hi B-Buffy." Neville stuttered out.

Snape looked up from his desk and noticed whom Buffy was sitting next to. He felt a small wave of pity for her because in his opinion, Longbottom was horrible at potions. It still amazed Snape that the twit actually made it into NEWT level. He decided to see if he could have a little fun anyway. If Buffy and her partner actually made a successful potion together, then he would die of shock. If they failed as expected, it would be amusing to sneer at them.

Buffy noticed Snape looking at them with a slight smirk on his face. She had heard about Neville's potions skill and was dreading the start of class. She knew that Snape hated Neville and tried berate him every chance he got in order to make him too nervous to make the right potion. If they made the wrong potion, she would never hear the end of it from the potions master. Plus it would also be a dent to her ego since she always made her potions correctly. She nodded towards Snape, accepting his little challenge. His smirk became even bigger.

Snape stood up from his desk and began class with, "Today we will be making a wound-healing potion. It is a convenient potion used in the medical fields. It does exactly what it sounds like: heals and closes all sorts of wounds. The final product should be a smoking purple liquid. You and your partner will make your own potion and test it on each other. When you are done, brewing the potion, take the knife and slice your finger, then apply your partner's potion to your cut. If the potion works for both of you, you pass. If one of your potions does not work, you will both be given a failing grade. Now get to work."

"Great!" Buffy muttered under her breath. She looked over at Neville, who looked like he was about to faint. "Hey Neville, just take a deep breath, calm down, and I'm sure you'll do fine."

"O-okay." He took a deep breath. "I-I bet you wish y-you had a different p-partner. I-I k-know you had to have heard a-a-about m-m-my potion skills. I-I'm horrible. I s-still d-don't know how I've made it t-this far."

"You and me both, Longbottom. How did someone as inadequate as you make it into my NEWT level course is beyond my comprehension? Summers, I hope you are prepared for failure because you're going to need a miracle in order to pass if he is your partner." Snape sneered at them. Then smirked. "I'm surprised you're willing to work with such a bumbling oaf."

"You know me, Professor. I love a challenge." Buffy looked at Snape with a gleam in her eye.

"Very well, Summers. Carry on." Snape moved on to Ron and Harry. "Potter, Weasley I hope that even you two idiots can accomplish this potion, but that could be hoping for too much." Both Ron and Harry scowled. "Miss Granger, no attempting to help either." Hermione flushed at being singled out.

Buffy looked over at Neville and noticed him almost hyperventilating. "Hey Neville, just chill out. You need to learn how to calm down and relax. Just take things slowly and one step at a time. Don't let Snape get to you because the more you dwell on his criticism, the more errors you will have trying to make the potion. If you go slowly and follow the directions one by one, I'm sure you'll be okay."

"O-okay. I'll try." Neville took one last breath before starting.

"Good." Buffy nodded and began to chop up the ingredients for her own potion. An hour passed by and Buffy noticed her own potion come to its final stage. She looked over to Neville's own potion and saw that it looked exactly like her own. She smiled. _'Victory!'_

Snape noticed the time and said, "Okay kiddies, the time has come for you to test your potions on your partners. Remember now, if you both get it right, you pass. If one of you is wrong, the both of you will fail. Let's start with you two." He pointed to Draco and his partner. Draco sliced his finger with the knife and then dropped some of the liquid onto his cut. The potion began to mend the cut until it was no longer there. His partner did the same and found the same results. "Good work, Malfoy and Zabini."

Snape went through all of the Slytherin students first, then going through the Gryffindors finding no faults with any of them until he reached the last two sets of partners: Ron and Harry, and Buffy and Neville. He motioned for Buffy and Neville to go first. Neville cut his finger and applied the potion. It worked. Then Buffy repeated Neville's actions and found his potion to work too. Snape looked on in surprise.

"Well it seems that Summers has lucked out. Good work as always, Summers."

"Thank you sir." Buffy smirked. "You know I aim to please."

"Yes, I should know better than to underestimate you. Also, congratulations on accomplishing the impossible. Longbottom finished his potion without any explosions and his potion worked! If that isn't a miracle, then I don't know what is." Snape stated sarcastically. Neville flushed at the criticism. "Now for Potter and Weasley. Let's see your potions."

Harry cut his finger and applied Ron's potion. It managed to work, but just barely. Then Ron mirrored Harry's actions, but found that Harry's potion didn't quite heal the cut completely. Snape's heart filled with joy.

"As expected, this Dynamic Duo has failed. Weasley's potion might have worked, but was only adequate. Potter's potion failed completely. Therefore, these two have failed the assignment. It's ironic that maybe they should have taken lessons from Longbottom. For once, he actually did something right. How any of you actually made it this far baffles me. Especially you, Potter. Your arrogance has done nothing for your skills in class. If we had to rely on your potion to save a life, that person wouldn't stand a chance. I hope in the future you learn something instead of thinking you can do anything. You are just like your father. Twenty points from Gryffindor for inadequate potions." Both Ron and Harry's faces turned bright red with anger, but they kept their mouths shut. "Alright, now that we have tested everyone's potion, class is dismissed.

Buffy turned to Neville and said, "Good job. I knew you could do it."

Neville blushed at Buffy's compliment. "T-thanks. I just did what you told me to do. I calmed down and did the procedure slowly, step by step."

The Golden Trio saw Buffy talking to Neville and assumed the worse. "Hey, leave Neville alone." Ron declared.

"Huh." Buffy was confused.

"Leave Neville alone. He didn't do anything to you." Harry stated.

"What the hell are you guys talking about? We were just talking." Buffy defended herself.

"Yea right. Then why does he look so nervous? You must have said something to him." Hermione butted in.

"Um…okay. You're an idiot. I didn't do anything to him." Buffy snarked.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Ron shouted.

"Y-you g-guys---" Neville started to say.

Draco saw the confrontation and went up to them to see what was going on. "Summers, what the heck are these dim-wits yapping on about?"

"I have no idea. I was talking to Neville and these three decided to butt in on the conversation. You know, I'm starting to notice a pattern here. Do they think it's their right to join in on anyone's conversation?"

"We were just defending Neville." Harry responded.

"That's great! Except for the part where he didn't need to be defended. You know what? Whatever. I'm outta here. Neville, good job. I hope we can talk again, but without the interruptions next time. Drake, you wanna go get something to eat before we work on that project with Snape?" Buffy asked.

"Sure. We have an hour before we have to meet back here with him." Then the two blondes walked out.

"W-what are you guys doing?" Neville hissed.

"What? We were defending you!" Ron said, taken aback by Neville's hostility.

"Defending me from what? She wasn't doing anything!"

"B-but we saw you turn red and assumed she was teasing you." Hermione supported.

"That's because she was complimenting me on a good job done. She helped me calm down during class so I could actually do the potion correctly. She was being nice."

"How were we supposed to know? She's a Slytherin. They aren't known for their nice personalities." Harry said.

"Maybe you should think about it before interrupting other people's conversations." Neville said before walking out on them leaving the Golden Trio dumbfounded.

* * *

Buffy and Draco walked into Snape's classroom and found it to be empty. They sat down and waited for him to return. Five minutes later, Snape came breezing through the doorway. "Draco. Summers. Draco, today you will be learning occlumency. The Dark Lord is a skilled legilimens and occlumency will help to guard your mind against anyone's invasion. Summers also happens to be skilled at both so whenever you aren't practicing with me, you will be practicing with her in either her room or wherever she trains with Professor Giles. She will also train you with muggle defense techniques. It is wise to not rely on just your wand for defending yourself." 

"Sir, if you want to, I would be willing to teach you self-defense as well. You are in just as dangerous of a position as we are, and I would hate for anything to happen to you when you could use any means at your disposal and you didn't." Buffy offered.

"You make a good point. I think I'll take you up on your offer, but this must stay between us and the headmaster." Snape replied.

"What about Giles? He is my watcher and helps me to train. He wouldn't hold it against you if he did know you were being taught by me." Buffy asked.

"Very well, but no one else. Now let's begin this lesson. Draco, when I point my wand at you, I will say, 'Legilimens.' You will counter me by clearing your thoughts. Try to think of the vaguest things. I don't expect you to be good at this on your first try. It is a difficult skill that requires a lot of mental concentration. Summers will teach you how to meditate, which will help you keep focus on your thoughts. Are you ready?" Snape addressed Draco.

Draco nodded and answered, "Yes, Professor."

"Good. Legilimens!" Snape pointed his wand at Draco.

Draco tried to keep his mind clear at the invasion, but found all of his memories flowing through his mind at once. He couldn't get them to stop. Thoughts of how he was treated by his father, how his mother was treated, how much he despised the Golden Trio, how he hated himself for being a little jealous of Harry, everything came to surface.

Snape stopped probing and looked at Draco. He had a look of empathy on his face. "I'm sorry you live in fear in your own home. However, you must let go of those emotions in order to master this skill. It is very important that you do not feel anything when you are trying to hide your thoughts."

"Drake, it always helps to take a few breaths to calm down when you are first learning. Try to think of something that gives you peace." Buffy encouraged.

Draco nodded and took several deep breaths before saying, "Okay. Let's do this again."

"Legilimens!" Snape cast the spell again. He still saw many of the same images, but Draco had manage to improve slightly. "Better, but you still need to work on guarding your emotions. Watch Summers as I perform the spell on her." Snape pointed the wand at Buffy and said the spell again. Draco watched as Buffy's face went blank, void of any kind of expression. Snape tried to probe Buffy's mind, but only got images of her walking in a graveyard and fighting vampires. He tried to dig deeper and found a few of her in school, but none of any lasting impression.

When he stopped probing, he saw Buffy smirking at him. "Very good Summers. You are much better than I anticipated. Draco, if you noticed, she managed to clear her head of anything important. Even her facial expression remained blank. It takes a lot of concentration, but I'm sure you can be skilled enough to guard your mind before the Dark Lord. Let's try several more times before quitting for the day." They took turns with both Snape and Buffy trying to invade his mind. After about an hour, they decided to end the lesson for the day. Draco had managed to improve his skills a little more. He still had problems with trying to compartmentalize his thoughts, but he had begun to clear his mind of a few thoughts every time he practiced.


	10. Several Different Occasions

**Chapter Ten- Several Different Occasions**

Faith walked through Restfield Cemetery with the Scoobies for patrol. They were planning to do a quick run through before going to the Bronze. She was still surprised that everyone was being so nice to her. Where she was from, no one ever did something for someone else out of the kindness of their hearts. Whereas before she had only herself to rely on and was always a loner, now she had friends and a maternal figure. It amazed her that these people were willing to help her out and didn't want anything in return except for her friendship.

She thought back to when she received a gift from the other slayer. It had been unexpected because she had never even met the girl:

_Faith sat in the library with the Scoobies doing some research when a giant bird appeared. "Holy shit! What the hell is that?" She exclaimed. The others saw what she was talking about and got excited._

"_I dare say, is that what I think it is?" Wesley questioned._

"_A phoenix? Yea. That's Apollo! He is Buffy's." Willow explained._

"_B-but they are myths." Wesley sputtered._

"_Nope, just very rare creatures. According to Buffy, they choose their owner and he chose her. Isn't he gorgeous?" Willow responded._

"_Yes he is." Wesley stated._

"_Why'd B send her bird?" Faith asked. She liked to give people nicknames and had decided to give Buffy one even though she wasn't around to hear it._

"_She must have sent us a letter or something." Xander replied. He went over to Apollo and untied a little bag from his leg. Inside of the bag, Xander pulled out a letter and read:_

_Dear Everyone,_

_Inside of this little goodie bag are several items for all of you. The beauty potions are for Cordy. The other potions labeled 'Wolfsbane' are for Oz. It should help him during the full moon. The joke stuff is for Xander. Try not to cause too much trouble with them. The books are for Wills. Lastly, the dagger is a gift for Faith. It has protection runes on it, and the blade will never go dull. The weight and balance of the blade is great. I hope everyone likes their gifts. Please feed Apollo before allowing him to return. Miss ya lots!_

_Buffy_

"_Whoa! B got me something?" Faith asked surprised._

"_Yea. It's a cool dagger." Xander answered._

"_But why? She's never even met me?" Faith wondered._

"_She probably didn't want you to feel left out so she got you something beautiful as well as practical. It's her way of welcoming you to the group. Buffy's cool like that." Xander said._

_As everyone checked out their gifts, Faith inspected her dagger. It really was a beautiful weapon. She had never been given anything so beautiful before and knew she would treasure this gift that her sister slayer had given her._

Out of the bushes, a couple of vampires jumped into the light. This brought Faith out of her musing and back into the present._ 'Finally some action!'_ Faith thought.

"Ooh, what do we have here? Looks like we have a full course meal on the menu for tonight." The first vampire said.

"Yea, the redhead looks tasty. I could just eat her up." The second vamp licked his lips.

"Me! I'm really not. I'm just skin and bones. I really wouldn't fill you up." Willow squeaked. She hid behind Oz and pointed at Cordy. "Try her. She has more meat on her bones."

"Willow!" Cordy squawked as she noticed a gleam in the vampire's eye. She inched behind Xander.

"What about me? I'm gonna get jealous that no one wants to bite me." Faith smirked.

The first vampire looked at Faith and grinned, "You'll do." Then he lunged for her while the other vamp went to grab Cordy. Faith just sidestepped the vamp and countered with a punch. The Scoobies threw holy water on the other vamp as it tried to attack causing it to scream. Then Xander kicked it in its gut making him double over. Oz and Xander then pinned it down while Willow staked it.

Faith had been playing with her vampire while the Scoobies fought the other vamp. Finally, she got bored and knocked him over a headstone. Faith took the opportunity jump on him and stake him. _'That was disappointing. I hope I can find me some action at the Bronze otherwise I am going to be one frustrated slayer.'_

They managed to make it to the Bronze without anymore surprises.

* * *

In the shadows, several Death Eaters met up with their leader. 

"Deacon, Anastacia, what is the plan on getting your daughter, Eliza, to join us? My spies tell me she is a seventh year at Hogwart's. I assume she is in Slytherin?" Voldemort asked.

"You are correct, my lord. We have confirmed that our daughter has returned to our world and is a seventh year Slytherin. We have also been informed that she is a very talented witch. She will be a great asset to us." Deacon replied. With the dementors on their side, the Death Eaters who hadn't been arrested had rescued all of the captured Death Eaters from Azkaban, including Deacon and Anastacia Rambaldi.

"Of course, I expected no less out of the progeny of my two most feared and loyal servants. With her bloodlines, she should fit in quite nicely." Voldemort stated.

"There is no question that she will join us. It is her place to be with her family after all. The question is how to get to her. I'm sure that Dumbledore will have her protected and it will make it harder for us to see her." Anastacia said.

"If I may, my lord. My son Draco is a seventh year Slytherin also. He must be acquainted with her. Since he is ready to join us and will take the Mark soon, I'm sure he can help us get her." Lucius offered happy to be of use to his master. "Also, I'm sure Severus will assist us in any way he can."

"Yes. That sounds like the best option right now. We will wait until Draco joins us and get him to persuade young Eliza of where her rightful place is." Voldemort finalized their plans. "Deacon, Anastacia, I want you to stay away from her until we are in a right position to go to her. I don't want Dumbledore to be alerted of our presence."

"Yes, my lord. We understand." They both nodded in acceptance.

* * *

The Golden Trio sat in their common rooms talking with a few other Gryffindors: Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Parvati Patil, and Dean Thomas. 

"What do you think of the new seventh year? I think she's bloody gorgeous! Too bad she is a Slytherin." Dean said.

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to her. Anyway, she's in Slytherin so how can that be a good thing?" Seamus wondered.

"I don't trust her. I mean, look at what house she's in. And what kind of name is Buffy anyway? Plus she fought those vampires on the train by herself. She's dangerous. She might even be working for You-Know-Who since her parents are known Death Eaters." Ron stated.

"Well Ron, we know Buffy isn't her real name. It's Eliza Rambaldi, remember? But I think she prefers Buffy because that was the name she grew up with so she's used to it. However, she has no respect for authority. Remember how she spoke to us on the train? Oh, and how she just tossed Ron and Harry out of the way. Also, in DADA she seemed to know more than she should about the Scourge." Hermione added.

"Are you sure you're not just jealous because she knew more than you did, for once?" Parvati asked.

"Of course not!" Hermione said indignantly. Truth be told, she was a little miffed that Buffy knew more than her. "I'm just saying that it's too much of a coincidence that the new girl, who just happens to be in Slytherin, a house known for dark wizards and witches, knows a lot on on the Dark Arts. We are in drastic times right now and You-Know-Who has spies everywhere. We can't be too careful."

"I agree with Ron and Hermione. Voldemort" Everyone flinched. "is still out there and I don't want to take any chances with her. I know Dumbledore said she's nothing like her parents and haven't met them, but you can never tell. Remember when Mad-Eye Moody taught at Hogwart's? I know it wasn't really him, but he is supposed to be Dumbledore's friend and even he couldn't tell the difference. All I'm saying is that Dumbledore has been wrong before so he could be wrong this time too. Don't you think it's convenient that she just happened to show up now?" Harry chimed in.

"I like her." Neville blurted out. Everyone looked at him incredulously. "She's really nice and she helped me out in Potions. You know I can't make a decent potion to save my life, but she helped me calm down enough to actually make it right the other day. Plus she even gave me a compliment. She can't be that bad."

"Well I still don't trust her." Ron said petulantly.

* * *

In the library, Buffy noticed a familiar looking redhead searching the shelves without any success. She decided to see if she could help. 

"Hey! Ginny, right?" Buffy asked.

"Y-yea. What do you want?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Whoa, chill out!" Buffy put her hands out in a peaceful gesture. "I saw you looking for something, but having no luck finding it. I figured you might need some help."

"Oh, sorry. I'm looking for more information on Der Kindestod for DADA. We have to do a paper on him and I can't find any information about him. Professor Giles said to use any resources we could find." Ginny said helplessly. _'She looks cute when she's frustrated. I can't help but be reminded of my best friend. Even though she has seen a lot, Ginny still seems so innocent, but has an inner strength under all that. Very much like Wills, but different too. Feistier. I like it.' _Buffy mused.

"Ah. Maybe I can help you out with that." Buffy offered.

Ginny scrunched her face in confusion. "How can you help me?"

"It just so happens that DADA is one of my best subjects and I'm an expert on Der Kindestod." Buffy smirked.

"How is that even possible? Even the library barely hasn't got anything on Der Kindestod."

"Yes, but I've met the guy. I happen to know him up close and personal."

"How?"

"Well as you know from the attack on the train, the vamps called me 'Slayer', as in Vampire Slayer."

Ginny's eyes widened in recognition. "So what does that have to do with anything?"

"I killed him." Ginny looked at her in disbelief.

Buffy told her how it was her job to fight evil in general, not just vamps, and one of the demons she had come across was Der Kindestod. She explained how he killed sick children by sucking the lives out of them and how her cousin had been one of his victims when Buffy was younger, but Buffy hadn't known until she had to fight him. She told Ginny everything that she had found out when they had researched him and how he looked. She also told Ginny more than necessary since she gave a byplay of the fight and a few of the events surrounding it, how she was sick when she had to fight him because that was the only way to see him. Ginny seemed to enjoy the story and Buffy's company. They talked some more about other demons Buffy fought and her friends in Sunnydale, and Ginny's life being the youngest and only girl in a big family, her experiences since she came to school at Hogwart's, including being possessed, the DA, the fight in the Ministry, and her relationship with Harry. Ginny liked that the pretty blonde was nice and friendly, unlike the others in Slytherin. She was also grateful for Buffy's help. She managed to finish the paper in no time. Buffy liked how Ginny was more open-minded than some of the other Gryffindors and seemed actually willing to be a friend. Buffy wondered how she could be related to Ron. Other than the red hair, they were much different. Ginny was less judgmental, sweet, and actually seemed to have a brain, whereas Ron, in Buffy's opinion, was an idiot and a pain in the ass.


	11. More Training

**Chapter Eleven- More Training**

Buffy, Giles, Professor Snape, and Draco were in Buffy's private training quarters. She had been teaching Draco and Snape hand-to-hand techniques so that they would be able to defend themselves without their wands if it became necessary. Giles was assisting in the training. He also provided a sparring partner for the professor while Buffy worked with Draco. She had taught them how to throw proper punches and kicks, before incorporating different movements with combinations of kicks and punches. She let them improvise their own styles into their fighting so they would be more comfortable with sparring. Occasionally, she would spar with Snape to see how much he had learned and to help give him suggestions if Giles had missed something. On some days, Snape and Draco would spar each other so both Buffy and Giles could see their fighting techniques and give advice on how to improve. Also, it was to let them get more familiar in fighting different opponents. In a certain sense, it was a bit of street fighting and some martial arts that they were learning. Mostly, because it was quicker to learn that way since time wasn't on their side and also because wizards weren't known for fighting without magic. They already had an advantage just by learning to fight.

Dumbledore had charmed her room so that he could add a training area for her to practice. It was hidden to everyone except Buffy, Dumbledore, and Giles. They were the only ones who could see the entry into the room and only they could bring others into it. It was also charmed with a separate outer entry that the others would use so that they wouldn't be going in and out of Buffy's room. Dumbledore had equipped it with mats, weights, bags, and several different combat weapons like swords, staffs, and axes. There was also targets set up to practice throwing stars, knives, or to practice with the crossbow. There was also a balance beam and a pummel horse for Buffy to work with. It was a much better training area than Buffy had used in Sunnydale considering that she was used to the library. Buffy loved it.

Buffy and Draco were sparring as Giles and Snape worked on conditioning. The two sets of partners were alternating because it provided more room for whoever was sparring to work with. Draco did a quick jab combination to Buffy who blocked the first punch but caught the second with her face. She grinned and sent him a punch of her own, which hit his chin. Then she followed up with a roundhouse kick to his side. It sent him back a little. She made sure to pull her attacks so she wouldn't hurt him seriously, but she hit with enough strength to make the fight more realistic. Draco went to punch Buffy, but she saw it coming and easily blocked it and countered by using his momentum to throw him over her shoulders.

"You're telegraphing your moves, Draco. I can easily see what's coming next. Instead of trying to think about what you want to do next, just go with it. Use your instincts and let your moves become more natural to you. It will make you more spontaneous and harder for your opponent to read your moves. This could give you an advantage in a fight." Buffy instructed.

"I'm trying, but I keep worrying if I'm using the right combinations or if I'm doing something wrong." Draco said frustrated and panting for air.

"Don't worry about it so much. Just relax and let the feel of the fight flow through your blood. Enjoy it, but don't let it take hold of you completely." Buffy said effortlessly. She noticed that he was breathing hard and winced in sympathy.

"I'll try." Draco began to get a little more aggressive, not hesitating as much. He threw punches and kicks without a doubt of any kind. His fighting improved slightly from it. Buffy still beat him, but she noticed that he fought a little better than before because he stopped worrying about how to throw down. She finally called an end to the sparring.

"That was good, Drake." Buffy stated. "Now let's cool down a bit and work on meditation techniques." Buffy motioned for Draco to sit crossed-legged opposite her. "Ok, now relax and clear your head of all thoughts." Draco did as he was told. When Buffy was satisfied that Draco was doing it properly, she joined him.

A couple hours later, Buffy and Draco came out of their trance to see that the other two had already left the area. "Wow." Draco said. "I didn't realize that we were there for so long." He noticed he was sweating profusely and was still a bit surprised that the meditation had that effect, even after weeks of training.

"I know. Once I'm in the trance, I can never tell how long I'm in it. All time seems to move slowly when meditating." Buffy agreed. "C'mon. Let's go get some food." She got up first and then grabbed Draco's hand to help him up. They walked out of the room together in a comfortable silence.

* * *

That night, Buffy took Draco and Professor Snape out on patrol with Giles. During the last few weeks, Buffy and Giles had brought along Draco and Snape on patrols. This was so they could make use of their new skills and incorporate magic into their fighting. Also, so that they could get used to fighting demons since Voldemort had allied himself with demons. The first night out, they were surprised to see Buffy use magic with her fighting during patrol. It was actually impressive, even to Snape. They had decided to go on patrols with Buffy two days out of the week. Tonight, seemed to be a slow night. As they walked through the school grounds edging towards the Forbidden Forest, they had only come across a couple of vamps. Buffy let Draco and Snape take care of them as she supervised them carefully, extending her senses to make sure that there weren't any other threats near. 

As the group headed back, a huge demon jumped out of nowhere and attacked Buffy. It was green, eight feet tall, had sharp teeth and claws, and was really hideous.

"Whoa, ugly!" Buffy managed to jump out of the way and avoid the attack. It was surprisingly fast for its size since it managed to turn around quickly and head towards Buffy. Buffy held off the demon's attacks, but could only manage to stay on the defensive because of the surprise of the attack. Quickly recovering, Giles shot it in the back with the crossbow trying to hurt it to give Buffy an advantage, but the demon's skin seemed impervious to the attempt. Draco and Snape, knowing that they weren't any matches physically, began firing off spells. They couldn't do much because they were afraid to hit Buffy in the process since the fighting duo was moving around too fast. One of Snape's shots hit the demon hard enough to bring it to its knees. This gave Buffy the out that she needed. She kicked the demon in its head and sent it flying into a tree nearby. She then shot a stunning spell as it made a move to get up, causing it to fly back and land on its back. She rushed towards it with a binding spell and transfigured her wand into a sword, prepared to chop its head off. In one vicious swoop, she took its head off.

Buffy kicked the head away from her. "Eeww." Buffy said as she inspected the body of the dead demon."Awww man. Now I've got some demon goo on my robes." She glared at the body. Then she had a thoughtful frown before mentioning, "We should get back to our rooms before anything else surprises us. Thanks for the help. It surprised the hell out of me, almost like it appeared out of thin air. Must have been a portkey of some kind, otherwise I would have felt it coming. Old Voldie probably heard there was the Slayer in these parts and wanted to get rid of me." Draco and Snape winced at the butchering of the most feared wizard's name. "This probably means that we need to be more prepared until I can join ranks. If I get caught or killed before he finds out who I really am, then we would be screwed. Drake, I think we need to work on your Occlumency more until it becomes more natural for you. Your fighting skills are good enough that you can hold your own in a fight and we don't need to focus on it as intensely, but we should still spar and train. However, your Occlumency is still less than great. You still need to learn to control your thoughts and emotions. If Moldy Wart got to you, you would be vulnerable." Again Draco and Snape winced at her butchering. She grinned at their uncomfortableness. _'When will they learn that the more they react, the more fun it is for me?'_

"You do realize that you're butchering the name, don't you?" Snape asked dryly. Buffy grinned even wider.

"Of course. Do you really think I'm that much of an idiot? You should know better by now that I'm not just a pretty face. Besides if you plan on winning this war, you can't be afraid of a stupid name. How do you expect to defeat the Big Bad if you can't even bring yourself to mock him? Or to even say his actual name?" Buffy threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "I swear, you wizards have an odd sense of logic. And you guys dare to mock the muggles? At least they don't think that just saying a name will get you killed. Even Potter has the balls to say his name and he's the one who Voldie is really after. You don't want him to show you guys up, do you?" Buffy smiled at their scowls. "This whole 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' thing is ridiculous. Admit it, you know I'm right." Buffy smirked at the two wizards who stood there dumbfounded.

Finally Snape conceded, "I see your point, Summers. It shouldn't matter that he and his followers have murdered so many as long as we can say his name with mockery. We'll try to be more blasé like you." Buffy grinned at the slight snarkiness in the professor's tone.

"There you go. See, I knew we'd agree on this." Buffy gave him a hearty slap on his back causing him to scowl and her to grin even wider. She started to walk away whistling. Draco looked at his professor in amusement; slightly shocked that Snape hadn't exploded at Buffy's audacity. Giles just hid a smile at the way his young charge had an oversimplified way of putting things. He was still surprised at the cunning mind that had been hidden beneath the bubbly facade.

* * *

Buffy walked into the headmaster's office and saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk. "Sir?" She approached his desk. 

"Ah, Buffy! How are you doing?" He motioned for her to sit down. She obliged.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. She found his tone slightly suspicious and she noticed an even brighter twinkle in his eyes. "I'm of the good. What about you?"

"Fine, thank you. How are things working out with Draco?" His eyes getting brighter by the minute.

"We're doing good. Him and Professor Snape are coming along great. They join me for patrols so they can practice their fighting skills, but I think you already know all this. So why am I really here? I doubt it's to ask me about something that you already knew." Buffy said bluntly, but without any bite in her voice.

"Hmm. What makes you think I have ulterior motives?" Dumbledore asked slyly.

"Cuz the last time you had that twinkle in your eye resulted in a fight on a train. So what's the up?" Buffy said dryly. She knew he was a crafty devil and wondered what he was about to spring on her.

"I want you to train with Harry and his friends. Mostly to teach them self defense, but also to give you a chance to work with them since I have no doubt that in the final battle, it will come down to you and Harry. His friends are loyal enough that they will refuse to leave his side." Dumbledore smiled as he saw Buffy's face fall.

Buffy scowled as she sat back in the chair and crossed her arms. One one hand, she knew he was right, but on the other hand, she really couldn't stand the guy. If it weren't for the fact that he was such an ass, they could have been friends. She and Harry's lives were somewhat similar. They hadn't had the best of lives, given a destiny that they never asked for. They had the weight of the world on their shoulders, Buffy more so, but the thought was the same. Both had loyal, but sometimes overwhelming friends that refused to leave them alone. All in all, they would have become great friends if they didn't already hate each other. 'How ironic!' Buffy thought sardonically. "Fine, but I don't have to like it. I have one condition though." She pouted.

Dumbledore merely smiled at her in amusement. "What is it?"

"That we wait until after Draco has already joined his father. It's not like I have a lot of time in between studies and slaying, so I don't want to have to train them at the same time. It would be better for Draco to be suspected as a Death Eater for it to be more believable. If they train together, Harry and his friends would want to know why. Draco's cover would be blown before it was even started. Plus he doesn't get along with any of them. It's better for everyone that they train separately." Buffy stated.

Dumbledore gave her a pensive look. "I suppose you're right, but what about when you join the ranks? Won't they be suspicious of you?"

"Yea, but they're already wary around me. It's not anything new, even though you gave them your word that I'm a good guy. They can't see past my birth parents and the house I'm in. Besides, I plan on teaching them before I join. Just basics, enough to defend themselves if needed. It's not like wizards rely on physical combat anyway. Any type of physical fight should throw the Death Eaters off. Once I join Voldie," Dumbledore grinned at her nickname. "Giles can continue training Harry and his entourage. They would be less suspicious of him anyway." Buffy answered.

"I see your point. I'm afraid that Harry has fewer reasons to trust me ever since I held back information from him to try and protect him. I also couldn't get over my own fears and for that I'm truly sorry. It resulted in him not learning an important skill, which could have prevented Sirius' death. Harry hasn't gotten over it." Dumbledore said sadly.

"Not that I like him, but I can see where he's coming from. Last year, I had another prophecy that foretold my death to the Master. Giles and another friend of mine tried to hide it from me, but I found out anyway." Buffy thought of Angel with a brief twinge, surprised that it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. "I wanted to quit, but in the end, I went to face my death. The Master drowned me, I died, but my friend saved me with a muggle technique called CPR. I came back and killed the Master. But he told me something about prophecies: the tricky thing about them is that the outcome isn't always cut and dried." It still bothered her to talk about her own death, but she was slowly coming to terms with it. It wasn't like she could change things anyway. "Yes, I faced him and died, but I was brought back. The thing is, he would have never risen if I hadn't gone down to face him in the first place and I wouldn't have died. Really, it's all about the interpretation of it and how it's reacted to, but it will almost always come true. You can't really avoid them no matter how hard you try." Buffy got up and rounded Dumbledore's desk. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze in comfort. He looked up at her and covered her hand with his, accepting the small gesture. Then Buffy continued, "So I know you want to protect Harry, but this is something that only he can face. Either he will win or he will die, but it can only come down to him and me in the end. We're the ones the prophecy is about." Buffy gave him a sympathizing look. "Everyone will play a significant role in this war, but none more Harry since he has the connection to Voldie. This kind of thing I am used to so I'm not as pressured as he is, but he will need your support. He needs people willing to fight by his side, not trying to shield him from his destiny. You can't always try to protect him. By doing so, you're hindering his chances of winning. It's like saying you don't trust him to beat Voldie or that you don't think he can handle it. It's not very inspiring especially since he is nearly a man according to wizarding laws. You need to learn to let him make his own decisions." Buffy stated bluntly.

"In my mind, I know you're right, but in my heart, I can't help but feel a grandfatherly love towards him. I want to be able to protect him. He's still so young." Dumbledore sat back in his chair and gave a defeated sigh.

"Don't let his age fool you. His life has already been one big tragedy. It's enough to make anyone grow up faster than they should have to. Believe me, I know." Buffy said softly.

They stayed there for a few minutes in silence, each going over their own fears and worries about the current war.


	12. A Confrontation of Sorts

**Chapter Twelve- A Confrontation of Sorts**

Draco sat in the dining hall eating his breakfast, when an owl dropped a letter into his lap. He saw that it was from his father and felt a dread seep into his gut. He looked around the hall only to see that there were too many people around. He put his letter in his robes and decided to read his letter in the Slytherin rooms. He quickly ate the rest of his food and left the table.

* * *

Across the dining hall from the Slytherin table, sat three suspicious students at the Gryffindor table.

"Why do you suppose Malfoy received that letter?" Hermione asked her friends. She put a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I dunno. Who would want to send that git anything anyway?" Ron snarked as he shoveled food in his mouth. "It was probably from his dear old daddy."

Harry swallowed the food in his mouth before giving his input. "Yea, he probably wanted Malfoy to spy for Voldemort." Harry stated as Ron and Hermione flinched. He rolled his eyes at their discomfort. It was starting to get old. He took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Well, I think we should keep an eye on him. You never know when You-Know-Who will attack. If Malfoy is spying, then you're going to have to be extra careful, Harry." Hermione said seriously with a hint of worry. Ron frowned. He had to admit that this time Hermione's worrying wasn't strictly paranoia. She had a very good point.

"I'm not afraid of that prat." Harry muttered. Hermione arched a brow. "Miooonnneee!" Harry whined. She glared at him. He sighed in defeat and pushed away his food. "Fine, but I know I can handle Ferret-Boy." Harry sulked. He had lost his appetite.

* * *

When Draco made it back to the Slytherin common rooms, he saw that it was empty. He sat on one of the couches and opened up his letter. It read:

_Draco,_

_The time for you to make up your mind about joining the Dark Lord has come to an end. The decision has been made. You are ready to take the Mark. The Dark Lord requests your presence in two weeks time during your Hogsmede weekend. Meet me at The Three Broomsticks on November 1st at noon. DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME!_

_Your Father,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Draco's stomach sank as he finished the letter. His hands were shaking, still holding the note. He needed to speak with Buffy and the professors. It was probably a good thing that they were training later that day.

* * *

Buffy was outside flying on her broom. She loved the feeling of being free. She sped up and dove into a series of loops, heading straight down, pulling up just before hitting the ground. The thrill gave Buffy an incredible high. She flew around a bit more before finally landing. When she looked up, she saw a familiar face heading towards her. She smiled to herself.

Ginny had been walking along the school grounds and noticed just in time to see Buffy diving straight down. Her heart stopped and she froze. Her cry died in her throat. At first glance, she had thought that Buffy was in trouble until she saw Buffy pull back up with a huge grin on her face. Ginny let out a huge sigh of relief. _'Why do I even care so much? I barely even know her. I just didn't want to see her get hurt. That's all. Right?'_ When Ginny finally managed to get her bearings back, she ran towards where Buffy had landed. When she reached Buffy, she noticed the blonde smirking.

"You almost gave me a bloody heart attack!" Ginny exclaimed. She slapped Buffy's shoulder.

"Ow!" Buffy frowned. "Why?" She was confused. All she had done was fly her broom. How did that almost give someone a heart attack?

Ginny blushed at her weird behavior. "Because I saw you diving towards the ground and I thought you were in trouble until I saw you pull back up. That was really amazing, by the way. The only other person who I've seen do that dive here is Harry."

Buffy scowled at the name. "Yea, whatever. I know, I know. Harry's so great! Blah, blah, blah." Ginny looked amused. Buffy was a great girl, but she had the oddest speech sometimes.

"Well until you came along, he was the school's best flier. I mean, I know that I'm pretty good since I'm on the quidditch team, but Harry's much better than any of us." Ginny looked at Buffy's broom and felt a bit of envy. "You are too, and you have the newest broom which is supposed to be better than the Firebolt, which Harry owns. I'm sort of jealous. My family could never afford any of those brooms." Buffy noticed the longing in Ginny's eyes. A thought entered her mind.

"Do you want to take a quick ride with me?" Buffy smiled winningly.

"I don't know. I wouldn't want to put you out or anything." Ginny said hesitantly.

"C'mon. I'll make it quick." Buffy cajoled. Ginny still looked apprehensive. It wasn't that she didn't trust Buffy. It was because she didn't want to think Buffy's offer was made out of pity.

After going over her options, Ginny gave in. She really wanted to know what it felt like to fly on the newest model of broom. "Okay." She agreed.

"Woo hoo! Hop on!" Buffy cheered. She let Ginny get on first and then got on behind her. Buffy felt a warmth spread through her. _'Hmm. This feels nice. Whoa, where did that come from? Okay... Weird, but good weird.'_ She then tilted the handle upwards and they took off. Buffy flew up and around the school, letting Ginny take in the view. A mischievous thought ran through Buffy's mind. She made sure her arms were wrapped around Ginny's waist, while holding onto the handle, firmly locking Ginny in place. "Hold on!" She yelled. Ginny tightened her grip on the handle just in time for Buffy to speed up and take her through a series of loops and twirls through the air. Ginny let out a squeal of delight.

"That was so much fun!" Ginny burst out. "Where did you learn to fly like that? And why aren't you on the Slytherin's quidditch team?"

"I dunno. I've been told I'm just a natural at flying. Plus slayer reflexes, you know. I don't want to join the team because I'm too busy to go to practices. Anyway, I'm glad you had fun. We should do this again some time. We can bring another broom in case you'd rather fly on your own. Unless this doesn't bother you?" Buffy looked at Ginny questioningly.

"Oh, it doesn't bother me at all. Flying with you is so much fun." Ginny blurted out. Buffy smirked when Ginny's face turned pink. Ginny was slightly embarrassed of her enthusiasm.

"Sounds like a plan then. We should probably head back now." Buffy turned the broom around and headed back. Finally, Buffy slowed down and headed towards the ground for landing. As the neared the ground, they noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione waiting for them.

"What the hell were you doing with my sister?" Ron shouted angrily.

"Chill out, Ronniekins! We were just flying." Buffy stated flatly. Ron flushed in anger at the name. His whole body was tense.

"That was completely reckless. She could have gotten hurt!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh, please. I know what I'm doing and we were having fun." Buffy said exasperated. "I don't see what's the big deal."

"You could have killed her." Harry said in clipped tones. Even though he broke up with her, he still loved Ginny. The reason for breaking up was to protect her since his life is dangerous. Seeing Ginny look so comfortable in Buffy's company, especially since she was a Slytherin, made him mad. More so, he was jealous. _'I should have been the one to take her flying!'_

"Are you kidding me? She's in more danger playing quidditch." Buffy stated incredulously.

"Ginny, get your butt off of that thing!" Ron yelled. His overprotectiveness of Ginny combined with his fear for her made him see red.

"Oh I think Ginny seems to just fine where she is." Buffy purred out and tightened her grip around Ginny. She couldn't help it. Baiting the trio gave her a perverse satisfaction. "Comfy?" Ginny flushed at Buffy's flirtatious tone. It gave her a tingly feeling. Harry scowled as he watched Ginny blush at Buffy's teasing.

"Ginny, get away from her right now!" Ron bellowed, snapping Ginny out of her thoughts. Ginny got off of the broom and stomped towards him.

"You're not the boss of me, Ronald Weasley! I can be friends with whomever I want to. I don't see why you're having such a fit over this. Buffy owns the Golden Flame. You know? The newest racing broom? Tell me you wouldn't jump at a chance to ride one too! It's even better than Harry's Firebolt." Harry glowered. "I wanted to see how it felt like to fly on it, so she took me up. We were doing perfectly fine. Buffy is excellent on the broom." Ginny shouted. She hated when he got overprotective and bossy.

"She's a Slytherin! You can't trust her!" Ron cried out. He tried to pull her away. She wouldn't have it.

"She's my friend! She's a great person. Why can't you guys see that?" Ginny pleaded.

"Ginny, we care about you. We're just trying to look out for you." Hermione said calmly.

"I can take care of myself. Besides, Buffy would never hurt me." Ginny glared.

Buffy could see that the argument wasn't going to end as long as she was there. Since she didn't want to cause Ginny more problems, she decided to leave. She had to train with Draco anyway. "Look, how about I just go and you drop it already? It's done and over with. Ginny is still in one piece. No one got hurt." Buffy looked at Ginny and smiled. "Ginny, I had a great time. I hope you did too. It was fun. I'll see you around." Then Buffy walked off and headed back to her room.

Ginny watched as Buffy walked away and felt oddly disappointed. She didn't want Buffy to leave, but she knew her brother wouldn't let it go until Buffy was gone, and even then he wouldn't let it go. She turned towards the Golden Trio and glared. "Thanks a lot guys! When will you guys learn that you're not the authority on who I choose to be friends with? Buffy really is a nice person, but you guys keep instigating her. Why? If she was in any other house, you guys wouldn't even care!"

"Ginny, you know we care about you and don't want to see you get hurt. You can't trust her. She might be the enemy." Hermione said trying to make Ginny understand how dangerous Buffy might be.

"Yea, she's a bloody Slytherin. You can't trust them. Plus her parents were Death Eaters. She could be spying for You-Know-Who." Ron chimed in.

Harry looked at her intensely and said, "Ginny, we need to be careful. You can't just trust her because you think she's nice. She could be acting."

"Yea, it's too much of a coincidence that she's here." Hermione said flatly.

Ginny scowled. "I think you guys are wrong and when it's proven, you're all going to feel foolish and I'm going to say 'I told you so'. Ginny turned and walked off.

* * *

Buffy entered the training room to see just Draco and Snape waiting for her. They had just started warming up with a series of stretches.

"Sorry, I'm late. I was tied up. Where is Giles?" Buffy asked. She began a few stretches.

"He told me to tell you that he had too much work to go over. He said that maybe we should work on the more magical aspects for today." Draco explained. He sat on the mat and leaning forward to grab his feet, his head touching his knees. He had increased his flexibility by quite a lot since he had started training with Buffy.

"Okay, we can do that. Maybe we should work on your Occlumency first?" Buffy suggested.

"Oh! That reminds me. I received a letter from my father today. He wants me to join him during our Hogsmede weekend. I'm supposed to take the Mark." Draco confessed. He looked down.

"Why didn't you say something sooner? Does the Headmaster know?" Snape asked concerned. He stopped what he was doing to look at Draco.

Draco sat up stiffly. "Yes, sir. I went to see him just before I came here. I would have said something earlier, but I needed to deal with it on my own first." Draco replied coolly. Snape nodded in understanding.

"Okay, but we're all here if you need us. Now then, let's get started." Buffy said. She knew Draco didn't like to appear weak and that the letter had bothered him more than he was letting on.

They worked on Occlumency for a couple of hours before calling it quits. Then they moved on to magical combat with some physical fighting mixed in. Draco practiced with Snape on his jinxes, hexes, and curses. Buffy showed him and Snape how to mix in a few punches and kicks with their dueling. They practiced for another couple of hours before ending the training session.

* * *

Faith and the Scoobies were out walking through a cemetery during patrol. Seemingly out of nowhere, a portal began to appear. They stopped before they got any closer.

"Be careful guys. We don't want to get sucked into that thing." Faith motioned for them to back up. The boys pulled their girlfriends behind them, acting as shields just in case.

"What in the frilly heck is that thing?" Xander cried out.

"I think it's a portal of some kind." Willow mused. "We need to tell Wesley about this." It wasn't as if portals were a daily occurrence.

"Wait! Hold up. It's getting bigger. We can't just leave without seeing what might happen." Faith stated. The slayer in her wanted to access the potential threat of the portal.

The vortex grew bigger, swirling around. Suddenly a hole opened up, and it spit out a body. A very naked body. Then the vortex closed itself up and disappeared. The group moved closer to the body to get a better look. Faith turned the body over wondering who it could be. As their eyes settled upon the face, everyone's jaw dropped.

"Holy crap!" Cordelia bit out.

"Sweet Jesus! I don't believe it!" Xander exclaimed.

"Whoa." Oz said in his unflappable manner.

"What? What's going on?" Faith asked in confusion.

Willow, who had managed to recover her speech, wondered in astonishment, "Angel?"


	13. Decisions, Decisions

**Chapter 13- Decisions, Decisions**

"Angel? Wait! That's the vamp that B got groiny with? The one that went psycho last year?" Faith asked. Everyone nodded. She took in his naked form and was somewhat impressed. "He's pretty hot for a vamp, but I still don't know how B could do it." She didn't care how hot he was, he was still a dead body.

"Believe me, I've been wondering about that the whole time she was with him." Xander said bitterly. He still couldn't stand the guy.

"He had a soul! Plus he's hot!" Willow exclaimed. Then she realized what she said and turned to her boyfriend with a pretty blush. "Not that you're not hot, but Angel had a tall, dark, and sexy thing going for him. Plus he was all mysterious and stuff." Oz raised his eyebrow. Willow's face turned redder. "I mean, it's not like I was checking him out! I have you and you're hot to me. You have your own kind of sexiness. Like the strong, silent type. Very sexy. Ooh, and you're in a cool band! Plenty of sexiness there, but it's not like I think about your sexiness a lot. I mean, I do sometimes, but not all the time and I'm babbling again." Willow noticed the amused looks on her friends' faces. She frowned at Oz. "You're supposed to stop me when I do that."

Oz gave her a small smile and said, "I like it when you do that." Willow blushed.

"Okay. Now that we've established Angel's hotness, what are we supposed to do with him?" Cordelia asked bluntly. She really didn't care. She just wanted to get out of there.

"Maybe we should take him to his mansion?" Oz suggested. Everyone nodded their agreement. Xander sulked.

Faith went to pick Angel up when he woke up and lashed out, sending Faith back on her ass. His eyes were feral and he was on all fours, hunched up like an wild animal. He focused on the group and snarled. Everyone backed up.

"Angel?" Willow asked gently. He growled and tried to lunge at her, but Faith had recovered and knocked him out with a broken branch. He crumpled up and he went down.

"Why don't we just dust him and get it over with? Is anyone else forgetting what happened last year?" Xander snarked. "Oh and look, he tried to kill us again."

"I don't got any problem with that. Any vamp is better off dusted in my opinion." Faith stated. Vamps were vamps. She killed them, soul or not.

"I could care less what we did with him." Cordelia said in a bored tone. She looked down and inspected her fingernails.

"No! We can't do that! Don't you remember what Buffy said? He got his soul back just before she sent him to Hell. That means that he must still have his soul." Willow said adamantly. "And imagine what would happen if Buffy found out that he came back and we killed him again? She would be really upset."

"Well, he did seem a little like a rabid animal, not himself. Not even like Angelus." Oz said calmly. Truthfully, he didn't really care what happened to Angel, but Willow did. He only cared about what made Willow happy and killing Angel wasn't it, so he decided to support his girlfriend.

"That's right! Guys, he was in Hell. Don't you think you would be out of your mind too, if you spent some time there? I think we should take him to his mansion and chain him up for everyone's safety. At least until he becomes sane again. Plus look at him, he's in bad shape right now. He probably needs to feed."

"Great. So now you want us to play nursemaid to a psycho vamp? You have got to be kidding me! We could just kill him and not tell Buffy. She doesn't even have to find out." Xander said full of hostility.

"C'mon Xander, you know I can't keep a lie. I'm a horrible liar. Plus I would feel guilty and cave. Then Buffy would get mad and end up hating us. I can't do that to her. She deserves to know. If it were me, I would want to know." Willow gave her resolve face.

"Fine, but I'm going to reserve my right to be the smug bastard if he goes evil on us again." Xander pouted.

"Pouting is so unattractive, Xan." Faith grinned.

"Seriously." Cordelia stated. She gave her boyfriend a pointed look. He winced. Cordelia turned to the rest of the group. "Moving on. Are we going to tell Buffy?"

"I think we should at least wait to see if he becomes sane first. If we were to tell her, she would just want to come back and it would kill her if she saw him like this." Willow mused.

"Okay. Whatever. Can we get out of here now before he wakes up and tries to eat us again? Or before something else attacks us?" Cordelia asked. Everyone else looked at her sheepishly. They had forgotten where they were standing. Shrugging, Faith picked Angel up and headed for his mansion. Everyone followed her as she made her way out of the cemetery.

* * *

Draco and Buffy were sitting in the Slytherin common rooms hanging out. 

"So." Buffy started out.

"So." Draco echoed. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"How are you holding up? You meet with daddy dearest in just a few days." Buffy gave Draco a concerned look.

Draco took some time to think about it before answering. "I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing. Do you think I'm ready to do this?"

Buffy took on of his hands and squeezed it gently. "You have improved a lot with your Occlumency. I'm sure you'll be okay. And in a few months, I'll be able to give you some moral support. You don't need to worry about your fighting skills though. You're much better than most and can definitely hold your own now. Both physically and magically." Buffy gave an encouraging grin. Draco returned it with a small smile.

Draco found himself blushing at the praise. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without your help. Or Professors Snape and Giles. I'll have to thank them later." He said gratefully. Then he sighed heavily. "I just hope I can pull this off." He frowned with the worrying thoughts.

Buffy turned to look directly at him and put both hands on his shoulders. "I just have one question. Do you think your ready? If you're not, we can always call this whole thing off and have Dumble-D put you in hiding." Draco smirked at Buffy's weird nickname for the headmaster.

"Dumble-D?" His eyebrows went past his hairline.

"I've been calling him that in my head for months now. No being all avoidy with the question." Buffy glared. Then she pouted causing Draco to roll his eyes. "Answer the question, Drake."

Draco sighed. Then he turned his head and stared off into space. He took a deep breath before saying, "I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I think I need to work a bit more on my Occlumency. I just want to make sure I did as much as I could before signing my life away." Buffy gave him a sympathetic smile and a light pat on his back.

"We can work on it some more after dinner. That cool with you?" She gave him a slight smile.

"It's fine." Just as he said it, Draco and Buffy heard voices filter into the room. Both Pansy and Millicent walked into the rooms. Draco and Buffy groaned softly.

"Hi Draco!" Pansy said enthusiastically causing Draco cringe inwardly. He shrank back a little in his seat. Buffy noted Pansy's face and snickered.

"Pansy. Millicent." Draco greeted politely. He frowned at Buffy's amusement.

Pansy looked at Buffy and sneered, "Buffy." Millicent just gave Buffy a condescending look.

Buffy caught their looks and rolled her eyes. "Pansy. Millicent. What's up?" Buffy said with false cheer.

Pansy just ignored her and looked at Draco. "Draco, I was wondering who you were taking to the All Hallows Eve Ball? Do you have a date yet, because I was thinking we could go together?" She gave him a slightly hopeful look.

"Pansy, I would love to---" Pansy gave a huge grin. "but I'm already going with Buffy." Draco finished smoothly. Pansy's face fell.

Buffy's eyebrow lifted slightly at Draco. He gave her a pleading look. She sighed quietly and gave him an imperceptible nod. He sighed in relief.

Pansy gave Buffy a jealous look. She had been in love with Draco forever. She had thought for sure that Draco would say yes to her. They both came from pureblooded families and had known each other since birth. Their families were friends and ran in the same social circles. It made sense that they should be together. Now Buffy was screwing everything up.

Buffy could see that Pansy resented her and Draco's friendship. Being Draco's date to the ball wasn't helping. She hadn't even planned on going with anyone until Draco pretty much forced her into being his date. She was a bit pissed off about that, but it was either call him a liar and feed him to the sharks or help him out of an awkward situation. Buffy chose the latter. _'Damn! At least seeing the look on Pansy's face will have its own rewards.' _A light went off in Buffy's head and she got an idea to pay him back a little.

Buffy smiled sweetly at everyone before exclaiming, "Oh! I almost forgot! I have to talk to Professor Giles about something." Draco gave her a panicked look. She returned it with an evil grin.

"This is payback isn't it?" Draco asked sullenly. He couldn't just leave with Buffy because it would be too obvious and Buffy knew it. He needed to keep up his Slytherin Prince persona and that meant hanging out with the two irritating girls. Pansy and Millicent both had confused looks on their faces.

"Yep!" Buffy replied cheerily. She stood up from the couch and started to gather her things. "Later, Drakey!" Buffy called out mockingly as she walked out, leaving a pouting Draco behind.

"Harrumph! I don't know what you see in her Draco. Your standards are lowering." Pansy stated. She sat down next to him. He tried not to move away, but it took all of his will power. He leaned back and threw his arm over his eyes.

"Yea, especially with that horrid American accent. She isn't even that pretty." Millicent joined in. She took the small chair opposite the other two.

Draco just ignored them and wallowed in his self-pity.

* * *

A group of Death Eaters were gathered around Voldemort giving their reports. 

"My lord, I have written to Draco and explained to him what is expected of him. I'm certain that he will comply." Lucius stated.

"When can we expect him?" Voldemort asked.

"Soon. He will meet me at Hogsmede in a week." Lucius replied.

"Very well. Any news on Eliza?" Voldemort inquired to the Rambaldis.

"My spies have told me that she has already befriended Lucius' son so we don't need to worry about that. This will make it even easier to get her to join with us. The vampires already fear her. Apparently, she has quite a reputation among the dark creatures as a formidable adversary. Yes, she will make a fine addition, indeed." Deacon stated proudly of his daughter.

"Excellent."

* * *

Buffy walked into the DADA classroom and saw Giles sitting at his desk. 

"Hey Giles." She greeted him. He looked up startled.

"Buffy! What brings you here?" He asked.

"Oh nothing. Draco and I were talking when we were ambushed by Pansy and her lapdog." Buffy rolled her eyes. "I was bored. I made up some excuse to go see you. I figured you were the lesser of two evils." Buffy gave him a cheeky grin.

"Gee, thanks." Giles replied dryly. Really, was that supposed to make him feel better?

"Aww Giles. No need to get testy. I'm sure you're fun under all that British, tweedy stuffiness." Buffy smiled as Giles scowled.

"Actually, I'm glad you came to see me." Giles said slyly.

"Really?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I've been researching the prophecy that you told me about, and I wanted to go over a few things with you." Giles smirked.

"But Giles," Buffy whined. "we've already gone over it more than once. What else do we need to go over? It's pretty straightforward and to the point. A baby was born to those that defied Voldie three times and would be born in the month of July. This baby was supposed to be Voldie's equal and bring forward his defeat. Voldie found out about it, and that his supposed equal was Potter. He tried to kill him as a baby, but as a result, he actually marked him as his equal. The other factor was that the slayer witch combined with Voldie's equal is the only way to completely beat the guy. So that means me and Potter gotta work together eventually. The fate of the wizards our in mine and Potter's hands. No pressure or anything."

"Yes. Yes. I know, but I've been talking to Albus and found out that it could have easily been Neville Longbottom that was marked. The Longbottoms and the Potters were the only one who had defied Voldemort three times and both couples had sons born in July. Apparently, Voldemort didn't hear the complete prophecy before he went after the Potters. If he values purebloods so much, then why did he mark Harry as his equal? Neville comes from a long line of purebloods, whereas Harry's mother was muggle-born." Giles explained.

"So?" Buffy asked. She really didn't see where this was going. "What's the point of all of this?"

Giles gave Buffy an exasperated sigh. "My point is Voldemort was born Tom Riddle. His father was a muggle, meaning that he himself wasn't a pureblood. Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that Voldemort went after what he perceived was the real threat, Harry Potter and not Neville Longbottom? Harry is truly Voldemort's equal because they have similar lineage and Voldemort acknowledged it unconsciously. He ended up transferring some of his own power into Harry when he tried to kill him as a baby. Interesting, don't you think?" Giles found all of this fascinating.

"That's really great, Giles. Really." Buffy said insincerely. She gave him a bored look. "I still don't see what's the point of this. Voldie already marked Harry as his equal. It's not going to change. All of this doesn't matter anymore. Harry is the one in the prophecy, not Neville."

"I just thought it would be prudent to understand everything we can about Voldemort." Giles stated defeatedly. He sighed. _'Am I the only one that thought it was important information?'_ He wondered. "I think we should research this as much as we can, Buffy." He took off his glasses and started cleaning them.

Buffy was just about whine about the evils of pointless researching when Ginny entered the classroom.

She stopped when she saw Buffy, not wanting to intrude on something important.

"Ginny!" Buffy exclaimed with relief. _'Saved by the bell!' _She thought.

"Hey Buffy." Ginny's face lit up when she looked at Buffy. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No! Of course not. We were just finishing up anyway. Right, Giles?" Buffy lifted a brow.

"Professor?" Ginny gave Giles a questioning look. Giles sighed inwardly.

"Yes? What can I help you with, my dear?" He gave his attention to Ginny.

"I was having some problems on finding information on our assignment about the Order of Taraka. The school's library doesn't offer enough information and the little amount that they do have is already signed out by other students. I was hoping you would have extra books that I could use." Ginny explained.

"Oh dear! I've already lent my only book to another student in Ravenclaw." Giles gave her an apologetic smile. Ginny's face fell.

"How am I supposed to do my assignment if I can't find any information on the subject?" Ginny

pouted.

"Well, you do have quite a bit of time before your report is due. Maybe someone will return their books soon enough for you to write your assignment." Giles replied.

"Hold up. Did you say your report is on the Order of Taraka?" Buffy asked slyly. If she helped Ginny, then she wouldn't have to be bored to death by Giles.

"Um, yes I did. Why?" Ginny asked her.

"I can help you out with that one." Buffy grinned smugly. Giles' eyebrows rose at her suggestion. Buffy hated doing any kind of research.

"Really, Buffy? Since when do you do homework willingly?" He asked cynically. He narrowed his eyes at her.

Buffy fidgeted under his stare. "Uh, since now? It's not like I don't know who they are, Giles. I'm pretty sure I know enough to help her with her assignment." She gave him a pointed glare. "Besides, where do you think she got her information on Der Kindestod?" She smirked at his surprised look.

"You helped her with that one?" Giles asked. Buffy grinned.

"Oh. I had wondered why her report was more detailed than everyone else's." Giles stated. "I just assumed she was an outstanding researcher." Her looked at Ginny and smiled. "Very well then, Buffy will help you."

"Sounds good. Why don't we go to the library to work on this?" Buffy suggested. Ginny nodded in agreement and Buffy quickly led her out of the classroom, away from Giles and his need to research.

"Buffy, we're sup---" Giles started to say, but was cut off.

"Bye Giles!" Buffy called out.

"Honestly, does she think I'm an idiot?" Giles mumbled after Buffy made her extremely obvious exit out of the classroom.

* * *

Buffy slowed down the pace when she was sure that Giles wouldn't be able to call her back to the classroom. 

"Are you sure, Buffy? I can just wait for someone to return their book." Ginny stopped to look at her, wanting to make sure she wasn't inconveniencing Buffy.

"Oh yea. No problem." Buffy waved off Ginny's concern.

Ginny took her by surprise and jumped into her arms, hugging her tightly. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou."

"C-can't breathe." Buffy choked out. Ginny let go and gave Buffy a sheepish smile.

"Uh. Sorry about that. I was just excited that I wasn't going to fail the assignment." Ginny explained.

"That's okay." Buffy smiled. They continued to walk down the corridor. "Anyway, I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake since I met them last year when they tried to kill me." Buffy said nonchalantly.

Ginny's eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks at Buffy's admission. "What? T-they tried to k-kill you?" She stuttered out. Buffy lifted a delicate brow.

"Well yea. The ones that came after me used to be a group of demon assassins who took a contract to kill me." Buffy said flippantly.

"Used to be?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Yep. I killed them." Buffy stated flatly.

"Oh."


	14. Rivalries

**Chapter 14- Rivalries**

The All Hallows Eve Ball took place in the dining hall. All sorts of decorations hung from the walls and ceilings. Professor Flitwick charmed several of the decorations to float around the place. The ghosts of the houses also joined in on the fun, attempting to scare any student coming through the hall's entry. There was also tons of food and punch, especially sweet treats, and music for dancing. Even though it was a ball, the students had the option of wearing costumes for the occasion. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were on the dance floor with the students. Professor Trelawney was talking to Professor Sprout and Hagrid near the punch. For the most part, everyone seemed to be having a good time, except for Snape. He had on his usual scowl. The only thing that would never change was the fact that the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were avoiding each other, both keeping their distances on opposite sides of the hall.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting with the other Gryffindors having a good time. The Golden Trio decided to dress up in costumes as the Three Musketeers. They all wore black breeches with blue tunics that had white crosses on them, black boots, and black hats that had plumes sticking out of them. To top it all off, they each transfigured themselves swords to go with their costumes.

Buffy and Draco had made their appearance late, due to Buffy's everlasting ability to never be on time. When they got to the hall, they made their way out onto the dance floor. Draco wanted everyone to know who he arrived with to make sure none of his annoying groupies would try to get him to dance. He figured that if everyone knew he already had a date, they would leave him alone. Buffy wore a gown, mostly because Draco refused to dress up in any kind of costume saying that it was a ridiculous tradition. Buffy's gown was an emerald green, strapless number that brought out her eyes. She looked gorgeous in it. Draco wore traditional dress robes to accompany her. Both of them received many looks from admiration to jealousy. Pansy, in particular, kept staring daggers at Buffy as she danced with Draco.

"You do realize that Pansy is staring a hole in my back, don't you?" Buffy asked. Draco sniggered.

"Uh yea. Sorry about that." He said insincerely. Buffy sighed.

"No, you're not. And while it was fun to tease her, I could do without the death rays that are coming out of her eyes." Buffy pouted causing Draco to grin at her unrepentantly. It was all his fault. She had planned on going to this event without the confines of a date, but Draco had put on his pitiful face and she caved. Now she had to endure a bunch of jealous little twits.

"You're right, I'm not. But I felt obligated to tell you anyway." Draco said laughingly. Buffy gave him a light tap on his shoulder in reproach.

Buffy looked around Draco and noticed Ginny dancing with a boy from Hufflepuff, looking like she was having an unpleasant time. The Hufflepuff kept stepping on Ginny's toes, making her wince with every step. It was sort of amusing for Buffy to watch Ginny try to dance with the clumsy boy, but too polite to say anything about his horrible dancing. When the waltz came to an end, a more upbeat song came on. Draco told Buffy that he was going to sit that one out. He assured her that he was doing her a favor, and that she would be more appreciative of him not torturing her with his inability to dance to anything but a waltz, since his upbringing demanded that he be taught at least that. Buffy then decided to go rescue Ginny instead.

Ginny watched as Buffy danced effortlessly with Draco. They made a very striking couple and Ginny found herself getting a little jealous of Draco. He got to be in Buffy's company while Ginny endured her dance partner from Hufflepuff. She couldn't even remember his name. What was it? Danny? Derek? David! Yea, that was it. His name was David. He had come up to Ginny earlier and asked her to dance. She agreed, and now she was immediately regretting the decision. He was a horrible dancer. It felt like he dancing blindfolded with earmuffs because he kept stepping on her feet and he was remarkably off beat. It would have actually been an amazing sight to see if Ginny's feet weren't hurting. Ginny sighed. When the waltz ended, Ginny almost cheered until she noticed the faster-paced song and her partner making no attempt to leave the floor. Ginny, being polite, didn't have the heart to ditch him. So now she was stuck with David the Dancing Reject.

"Hey there." Ginny turned to see Buffy smiling at her and David.

"Hi Buffy!" Ginny smiled back. "Are you having a good time?"

"Oh yea. Drake's being a proper gentleman." Buffy smirked. Then she looked at David and asked, "Do you mind if I cut in?" Ginny's face fell slightly.

"Uh, sure. If Ginny doesn't mind?" David looked at Ginny questioningly.

"Um... I'm okay with that. I'll just go get some punch." Ginny said flatly. She felt a twinge of disappointment at Buffy dancing with David until Buffy spoke again.

"Well actually, I meant to dance with Ginny." Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, but she smiled happily.

"Oh. Ah, I guess if Ginny wants to." David looked at Ginny for confirmation. She nodded her agreement. David gave her a polite nod and walked away.

Buffy and Ginny smiled at each other as they watched David walking away, tail tucked between his legs. They resumed dancing to the song, playfully dancing with each other.

"Thank you so much! I thought he was going to end up smashing my feet. He is the worst dancer I've ever seen. Not even Ron is that bad." Ginny said gratefully.

Buffy snickered. "I know. I saw you wince a few times during the waltz. It was kind of funny. When Draco decided to sit out, I came over here to rescue you. I figured you needed a break. You know, you're a pretty good dancer."

"Thank you. I'm glad you did. I almost cried when he made no attempt to move off of the dance floor. Plus I was hoping I'd see you. Are you having a good time?" Ginny asked.

"Eh, it's a little different from the kinds of dances I'm used to, but I'm doing okay. Better now that I'm dancing with you." Buffy waggled her eyebrows at Ginny. "Besides Draco, you're my only other real friend. Everyone else is either an acquaintance or don't exactly have friendly feelings towards me." Ginny smirked.

"Like Pansy, you mean? I noticed that she's been giving you glares ever since you and Draco showed up."

"Yea, I know. She's just pissed because she asked Draco to this shindig, and he told her he was already going with me." Buffy grimaced when she thought about the whole situation.

Ginny noticed Buffy's expression. "What? Didn't you want to go with him? All of the girls in Slytherin are in love with him. Even some of the girls in other houses think he walks on water. He is the Prince of Slytherin for a reason you know." Ginny stated mockingly.

"Funny." Buffy gave Ginny a mock glare. "It's not that. Draco and I are friends, nothing more. I know he hasn't always been the nicest guy towards you or anyone else in your house, but there are other issues he is dealing with that makes him act the way he does. Underneath it all, he's not such a bad guy." Ginny looked at Buffy disbelievingly. Buffy rolled her eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, Pansy hates me because I'm friends with Draco, but she thinks that I'm a threat to her possible relationship with him. What she doesn't know is that he isn't interested in her at all. That's why he told her that I was his date to this ball. He kind of sprung it on me at the same time without warning. I was just as surprised as Pansy. I wasn't too happy about being cornered like that, but the look on Pansy's face when Draco rejected her was worth it. She totally thought he was going to say yes, and was about to jump for joy until he dropped the bomb." Buffy grinned. "Priceless." Ginny giggled.

"How awful. That's so embarrassing!" Ginny exclaimed.

"I know. It was great." Buffy chuckled at the memory. Pansy's pug face falling in disappointment still put a song in her heart.

"You're so bad!" Ginny joked. She had to admit that Buffy always had amusing stories to tell. This one wasn't any different. She almost wished that she could have been there to see Pansy's face.

"But only in a totally good way." Buffy winked.

Suddenly, the music switched back into a slow song causing the girls to pause their dancing.

"Uh, I guess we'd better get off the floor." Ginny said nervously. She was kind of disappointed that she would be dancing with Buffy anymore.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"Because they are playing a slow song. We're both girls." Ginny thought that the reason was obvious.

"So? We can still dance to it." Buffy said flippantly.

"Wouldn't it be weird?"

"I'm game if you are." Buffy smiled winningly.

Buffy held out her arms, signaling Ginny to step in them. Ginny hesitated. She didn't want to stop dancing with Buffy, but slow songs were usually reserved for members of the opposite sex. After thinking about it, Ginny stepped into Buffy's arms and allowed her to lead. They held each other comfortably and gently swayed to the music, perfectly in sync with one another.

* * *

Across the room, a group of friends watched the two girls dancing with each other in disbelief. At first, they were shocked. A Slytherin and Gryffindor actually being friendly towards each other was just not done. Now they were all feeling several different emotions. 

Hermione watched as Ginny and Buffy danced. She was kind of shocked to see two girls dancing like that, but mostly worried for Ginny. Hermione thought that Ginny was placing too much trust in Buffy. She just didn't want Buffy to end up hurting Ginny.

Ron looked at the two girls holding each other with a glare. He didn't trust Buffy. She was a Slytherin and her parents were Death Eaters. Her best friend at the school was Malfoy. What more did he need to know? He also wasn't that blind, no matter what his friends thought. He could see Ginny's face light up in Buffy's company. There was something else there, even though Ron wasn't entirely sure. She certainly didn't look that happy dancing with that Hufflepuff.

Harry felt a wave of jealousy and worry at seeing Ginny dance with Buffy. He was worried because no one knew exactly where Buffy stood in this war, regardless of Professor Dumbledore's assurances. He was known to make a few mistakes from time to time and in Harry's experience, they tended to be whoppers. Like the time Mad-Eye became a teacher, but it was really Barty Crouch Jr. Or the time he had Snape teach him Occlumency. It eventually led to Sirius' death, but Harry refused to start thinking about that. There was also jealousy because he wished it was him that was dancing with Ginny, but their break up had made things awkward between them. In a group, they were fine. But alone, they didn't even know what to say to each other. He could also see that Ginny looked at Buffy the same way she used to look at him. Even if she didn't know it yet. It was disconcerting to say the least. It was also driving Harry crazy. He just hoped that he could get her back when the threat of Voldemort was over.

* * *

Buffy and Ginny had danced a good part of the night when Draco had joined them, surprising anyone who was watching. Apparently, some of the girls were starting to corner him and he needed a shield from all of their fawning. Ginny was a little apprehensive at first, but warmed up by the end of the night. Draco was polite for the most part and even had a bit of fun while dancing with the two girls. What normal guy wouldn't have a good time dancing with two hot girls? Draco was only human. If there was a guy there who wasn't already envious of Draco, that guy had just joined the club.

* * *

From the other side of the room, two Gryffindors had dark glares on their faces and steam coming out of their ears, while a bushy-haired witch looked on worriedly.

* * *

When the dance ended, Buffy turned to Ginny and asked, "Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" 

"Of course. Why?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Wanna hang out with me?" Buffy invited.

"Sure. What about Draco? Is he going to be hanging out with us too?" Ginny might have accepted that he wasn't as bad as she thought, but she was still uncertain about spending the day with him.

"Oh no. He has some sort of family obligation to go to." Buffy lied. Draco had to meet with his father about joining the Death Eaters. Tomorrow would be the start of his new secret life.

"Well then, I would be glad to join you tomorrow. It'll be fun." Ginny said excitedly.

"Alright, it's a date then. See you tomorrow." Buffy said happily. They bid each other goodnight and left the hall for their separate houses.

* * *

The next day at Hogsmeade, Buffy saw Ginny walking up to her with Neville Longbottom and a Ravenclaw she had never met before. 

"Hey Buffy." Ginny greeted her warmly.

"Hey Ginny." Buffy smiled at Ginny and her friends.

"I ran into these two. You know Neville, right?" Buffy nodded.

"Yea. Hi Neville. How are you?" She asked politely.

"Uh. Hi Buffy. I'm fine, thanks." Neville replied nervously.

"That's good to hear." Buffy said jovially. Then she looked at the blonde girl standing next to Ginny questioningly.

"Oh I'm sorry! This is Luna Lovegood." Ginny explained. "Luna, this is Buffy Summers."

"Nice to meet you, Luna." Buffy stated.

"You too." Luna replied.

"Buffy, I hope you don't mind, but I invited Neville and Luna to join us." Ginny said sheepishly.

Buffy grinned. "Of course not. The more the merrier. C'mon let's get this show on the road." Buffy gestured for them to start walking.

* * *

Draco entered the Three Broomsticks and saw his father already sitting in a booth. He approached the table and sat down. 

"Hello Draco." Lucius greeted him.

"Hello Father." Draco replied coolly.

"We have an hour before we meet up Him. Would you like to eat first?" Lucius asked.

Draco was so nervous that he wasn't hungry at all, but he really didn't want to be early to meet the Dark Lord. "Food would be great, sir."

"Very well." Lucius signaled that they were ready to order. They both ordered sandwiches and butterbeer. Draco and his father talked quietly about Draco's meeting with the Dark Lord. Lucius also tried to question Draco about Buffy.

"Draco, I hear there is a new seventh year in Slytherin and that you have befriended her. Is that true?" Lucius approached the subject.

"Yes, Buffy Summers. Why do you ask?" Draco felt his stomach turn in knots.

"Buffy? What a despicable name. Who would give someone that atrocious name? Her real name is Eliza Rambaldi, and her parents are very good friends of mine. They are loyal to the cause. The master has heard of her power and wants her to join us. I want you to be the one who convinces her to join, but after you have taken the mark. She must know of the Dark Lord's power. If you do this, you will bring great honor to the family name. The master will reward us for our efforts. You must not fail. Do you understand?" Draco nodded.

"Yes, father. I will do whatever it takes to convince her to join us." Draco said halfheartedly.

"Very good. Don't let me down." Lucius said in a cold tone.

"I won't." Draco said more firmly.

* * *

Buffy and her companions entered Honeydukes with lustful expressions. The treats in the store looked absolutely delicious. They all separated, deciding to look around for something they might like. Buffy headed straight for the chocolate. 

"Mmm. Chocolate." Buffy grabbed a bunch of different chocolates to buy. As she walked through the rest of the rest of the store, she grabbed some sugar quills and Fizzing Whizzbees, licorice wands, toffee, fudge, and nougat. By the time Buffy was done, shopping, her hands were full. When she turned the corner, she almost bumped into Ginny.

"Whoa. Sorry about that." Buffy said quickly. Ginny's eyes widened at the amount of sweets in Buffy's arms.

"Are you really going to buy all of that?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Uh...yea. I was planning on sending some of this to my friends back home. They've never seen sugar quills or Fizzing Whizzbees before." Buffy replied sheepishly. Buffy noticed that Ginny only a single sugar quill in her hand and frowned. "Is that all you're getting? A measly sugar quill? What about some fudge?"

Ginny's face reddened a little. "It's all I can afford right now." She replied somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh. Sorry." Buffy said awkwardly. Sometimes she just couldn't help putting her foot in her mouth. "Why don't you go pick out some of the other things you wanted? I'll treat you."

"Oh no, I couldn't. And you have all of that other stuff to pay for too. It would be too much." Ginny gestured towards Buffy's candy-filled arms.

"No, no. Don't worry about it. I can afford it. Trust me." Buffy smiled winningly. "Just go back and grab whatever else you like and I'll pay for it." Buffy stated.

"Okay. If you're sure?" Ginny looked at Buffy hesitantly.

"Yes. Don't worry about it. Now, go!" Buffy encouraged, pushing her towards the fudge. Buffy went to look for more sweets.

Ginny walked around and grabbed a block of fudge, some other chocolates, and a couple more sugar quills. She didn't want Buffy to spend too much money on her.

"Ginny!" Ginny turned around to see Ron waving at her. He, of course, was with Harry and Hermione.

"Hi guys!" Ginny greeted them.

Ron took notice of the items in her hands and raised his eyebrows. "How are you planning on paying for all of that. I know mum and dad didn't give you enough of an allowance for all of those things."

"Um..." Ginny hesitated, knowing Ron's feelings towards Buffy. She was pretty sure Ron would explode when he found out.

Right at that very moment, Buffy decided to join them.

"Hey Ginny, are you done looking for stuff? I kinda want to get out of here soon." Buffy asked obtusely.

"Yes." Ginny replied faintly. Her eyes darted to her brother and his friends. They all looked like they swallowed something sour, but she knew they wouldn't want to make a scene in the store.

"Cool. You wanna give your stuff to me so I can pay for it? My stuff is already over at the counter." Buffy held out her hands for Ginny to hand the candies over. Ginny did so reluctantly. Buffy looked over at the Golden Trio and gave them a cool look. "Hey guys." She nodded to them. Then Buffy took the items and walked away.

Ginny turned back to the Golden Trio and waited for everyone to explode. She wasn't disappointed.

"You're with her?" Ron exclaimed loudly. So loud that the other customers turned in their direction. He gave them an apologetic look and glared back at Ginny. Ginny winced. "Ginny, what the hell are you thinking? And you're letting her buy you things? Have you lost your bloody mind?" Ron whispered harshly.

"No. It's not a big deal. Buffy noticed that I only had a sugar quill because I couldn't afford anything else. She offered to pay for whatever else I wanted instead." Ginny explained.

"Ginny, you don't need her pity. You aren't some charity case. Go and tell her that you changed your mind and you don't want anything else." Ron ordered.

"I can't do that. She is already paying for them and I don't want to throw her kindness back in her face. It wasn't pity. She would do that for any of her friends. Hell, half of the stuff she was already buying was for her friends back home." Ginny argued.

"Ginny, I can loan you the money. I have more than enough. I don't want to see you become obligated to her in any way." Harry said quietly.

"No, I'm not taking your money. That would be even more awkward than Buffy paying for my things." Ginny shot him down. Harry flushed angrily. "Buffy isn't going to expect anything out of me. She's my friend. When will you guys see that?" Ginny asked frustratedly.

"Ginny, we just---" Hermione started, but was cut off by someone else.

"Hey Ginny, Buffy wanted us to see if you were ready to leave. We're going to go eat." Neville interrupted with Luna by his side. He looked at everyone's angry faces and the tension in the air was practically tangible. "Oh. W-was I interrupting s-s-something?" He stuttered nervously.

"No, nothing important." Ginny replied easily causing Ron to glower.

"Neville! You guys are here with Buffy too?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Y-yea, she and Ginny invited us along this morning." Neville said brightly.

"Why?" Ron asked bluntly. "She's evil." Ginny scowled at Ron's gibe towards Buffy.

"I-I like h-her. S-she's always been nice to me." Neville defended.

"So do I. She's really funny and doesn't treat me like I'm crazy." Luna added. The Golden Trio looked stunned by Luna's comment.

"See? I'm not the only one who thinks Buffy is a great person." Ginny gave them a smirk. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to be going." Ginny, Neville, and Luna walked away, leaving three Gryffindors wondering if maybe, the world had gone mad.

* * *

Draco was presented to a group of Death Eaters surrounding their master. 

"Draco, I understand you want to join our cause?" Voldemort asked silkily. Draco knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

"Yes, my lord. I want to rid the world of filthy muggles so that only purebloods will exist." Draco said smoothly.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" Voldemort questioned.

"Sir, I will do anything to prove my loyalty." Draco replied.

"Anything?"

"Yes, sir." Draco felt a light probe in his mind and forced himself to clear his thoughts. He pushed up thoughts of hatred toward muggles so that he wouldn't be found out.

"Very well." Voldemort said after he was satisfied with probing Draco's mind. "Hmmm. You seem to be loyal to the cause so far." Voldemort gave him a cold smile.

"Well done. You have passed the first test. Now I must be sure that you are willing to endure anything from me, and still be loyal." Voldemort whipped out his own wand and shouted, "Crucio!" The blast hit Draco with the most painful force he'd ever experienced. He screamed in agony, but it only made Voldemort happier. He released his curse for a moment before yelling the curse again. "Crucio!" This time it was more painful than the last, and Voldemort held it for longer. Draco shouted in pain, but refused to beg. After thirty minutes of nonstop torture, Voldemort let go of the curse. Draco writhed on the ground in suffering. His ribs were in the most excruciating pain. He struggled to stand back up.

"Excellent, Draco. You are doing well, but I have one final test for you. Bring in the filthy muggle we captured earlier." He commanded.

One of the Death Eaters walked out of the room and came back moments later, dragging a chained up man with him. The prisoner was flung into the middle of the circle. "I want you to use the Cruciatus Curse on him." Voldemort ordered.

"My lord?" Draco said hesitantly. He knew he would be expected to do some horrible things, but he wasn't prepared for when the moment would actually come.

"I think I was pretty clear before, Draco. Now curse him!" Voldemort said angrily.

"Yes, my lord." Draco withdrew his wand and aimed it towards the pleading man.

"Please don't hurt me!" The man begged. Draco's stomach lurched.

"Silence, you filthy muggle! Crucio!" Draco bellowed. The man convulsed in pain.

"Ahhh! Please! I'm begging you! Stop!" The man sobbed. Draco cursed him again for his insolence.

"Crucio!" This time Draco held the curse a little longer than the first time, the man's screams going unacknowledged by everyone. "Crucio!"

The torture went on for an hour before Voldemort stopped it. It took every ounce of willpower for Draco to not puke while he was torturing the man. It was the most sickening experience of his life.

The man had finally stopped pleading, only whimpers could be heard from him because all of the screaming had made him lose his voice. The man was barely alive, and yet, Voldemort still wasn't done. He aimed his wand at the man and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" A green light shot of the wand, instantly killing the prisoner. Draco nearly lost it when he saw the lifeless eyes staring back at him.

"Now you may call yourself my loyal servant." Voldemort said imperiously. "Come here so that I can bestow the mark upon you."

"Thank you, my lord." Draco choked out. He slowly walked over to Voldemort who still had his wand out. Voldemort rolled up Draco's sleeve and pointed his wand to Draco's forearm. He said a spell and a hot, searing pain shot through Draco's arm.

"Arghh!" Draco grunted. He looked down to see a skull appear on his skin. The bile threatened to rise in his throat. It was the Mark. He was now a full-fledged Death Eater.

* * *

When Buffy entered the Slytherin common rooms, she saw Draco sitting alone, quietly on one of the chairs, looking a bit pale. He had a faraway look like he was deep in thought. 

"Hey Drake!" Buffy exclaimed, causing Draco to jump out of his chair. Buffy laughed.

"Aaahhh! Bloody hell, you scared me!" Draco shouted. He glared at Buffy.

"Sorry." Buffy smirked. "So how did your meeting go?" Draco frowned and he had that faraway look enter his eyes again.

"It went according to plan." He replied flatly. Buffy detected something else he wasn't saying and pushed the issue.

"That's all? Nothing else?" Draco looked away. "Drake, what happened? Buffy asked concerned. He remained silent. Buffy touched his shoulder. "Drake?" He looked up with angst-filled eyes.

"It was probably the worst experience I've ever had." He whispered so faintly that Buffy could barely hear him, even with her slayer hearing.

"What happened?" Buffy asked gently.

"At first, I didn't think it would be too bad. I figured I would pledge my loyalty and the Dark Lord would give me the mark. I was wrong. He brushed my mind first. That wasn't so bad. I just pushed hate-filled images of muggles in my head. He was satisfied with that, so I thought that was it. But he wasn't done, he tortured me with the Cruciatus Curse for a half an hour. It was extremely painful. My ribs are still hurting. I know what you're thinking, horrible. Right?" He laughed harshly. "If only that were the worst thing that happened. He brought a muggle in chains to me. A scared, innocent man who was pleading for his life. He told me to use the Cruciatus on him. I had no choice, but to obey. I tortured that poor man for about an hour before the Dark Lord ordered me to stop. The man lay on the cold ground, whimpering when I was finished. He was just barely alive. To finish it off, the Dark Lord killed him right after. It took all of my willpower to keep myself together. I almost lost my lunch. It was horrible, Buffy." Draco said as tears leaked down his face.

Buffy was at a loss on what to say. There really wasn't anything she could say to make it better. He did what he was supposed to do and because of it, an innocent was tortured. That would probably haunt him for the rest of his life. She also knew that when the time came for her to do the same, she would have to fall in line or be killed. In the end, all she could do was give him a comforting hug. She gathered him in her arms as he sobbed quietly, not saying anything. When he was done, she allowed him to get himself together without any recriminations. They would need to stay strong until this all ended. Buffy only hoped that they would be able to get through this with their sanity still intact.

* * *

When Buffy reached the DADA classroom, she saw that the sixth years were just finishing up. She caught Ginny's eye and waved as Ginny walked to the door. 

"Hey there!" Buffy smiled.

"Hi Buffy!" Ginny smiled back. "Wow, I didn't get a chance to see you at all yesterday."

"Yea, I was hanging out with Draco." Truth was, they had spent all day training. Draco had wanted to get his mind off of the day before.

"Oh. By the way, I just wanted you to know that I had fun hanging out with you at Hogsmeade. We should do something else sometime this week." Ginny suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Buffy said cheerfully.

"Great. I better get going before I'm late to Potions. I really don't want him to end up picking on me. Bye!" Ginny ran off.

"Stay away from my sister." Buffy turned to see Ron scowling at her. She lifted a brow.

"Don't you think that should be her choice?" Buffy asked.

"No. I'm older and it's my job to protect her from anyone who might hurt her." He looked pointedly at her.

"Really? So am I right in assuming that I'm the one you're protecting her from?" Buffy questioned.

"What do you think?" Ron snarked.

"Look Ron, Ginny's a big girl and she can make her own decisions. I think she's fun to be around and she's a great friend. I have no evil plans towards her. You also don't scare me, so until Ginny says otherwise, I won't stop talking to her." Buffy walked into the classroom without waiting to hear Ron's response.

* * *

"Okay, class. Today, we're going to things a little bit different. The Headmaster wants to know how far along you are in your dueling, especially with the upcoming threat. You can never be too careful these days. As seventh years, you should be fairly proficient with your spells. This is sort of a practical exam and you will be graded accordingly. I want you to pair up and practice your dueling, then I will assign you a partner to actually duel with. I should also warn you that because I am a muggle and this is a defense class, physical defense is also allowed. Those of you who don't know how to properly defend yourselves, physically, will be assigned a partner with the same capabilities. Everyone is expected to participate. Buffy will be my assistant during the real duels, but she is allowed to practice with whomever for the time being." Giles explained. 

"Why does she get special treatment?" Pansy asked sulkily, surprising the rest of the class with her resentment towards Buffy. Housemates usually stuck together.

"Yes, Professor. That isn't quite fair to the rest of us." Hermione added, also surprised that she agreed with Pansy for once. She didn't really like dueling, and didn't think it was fair that Buffy would be exempt from it. So if she had to do it, Buffy should have to participate too.

"Because both Professor Dumbledore and I have already seen her dueling skills. She has already tested over the summer. She is more than adequate." That was an understatement. Buffy would probably wipe the floor with everyone here. The only ones who even came close in the class to Buffy were Harry and Draco. Harry, because he was said to be the best in DADA, and Draco, because he had been training with Buffy for months now. Both Giles and Dumbledore knew Draco was also an excellent duelist, but he had to duel in the class because there was no other explanation for him not to. Giles couldn't very well say that Draco had been training on the side. It would raise too many questions. "Okay. Everyone grab a partner and start practicing."

It was no surprise to see that Buffy and Draco paired up, as well as Harry and Ron. Hermione paired up with Parvati Patil. The rest did as expected, and paired themselves with their housemates. Giles watched as Ron and Harry dueled. Harry was clearly the better duelist with his better reflexes and reaction time, but Ron seemed to be holding his own. Hermione and Parvati seemed to be an even match, but Hermione was a little more adept in her spells. Parvati made up for it in her quickness. She had better reflexes than Hermione did. Neville Longbottom dueled with Seamus Finnegan, but was doing horrible. Giles noticed that the boy's problem was his self-confidence, or lack thereof. From what Giles knew, that seemed to be the biggest problem in most of his classes, except Herbology. Giles made a note to have Buffy work with Neville when she finished practicing with Draco. He looked at the pair in question,knowing instantly that they weren't even trying. Oh they looked like they were practicing hard, but Giles knew from prior training sessions that the two of them could do better than that.

"Buffy!" Giles called out. Buffy stopped what she was doing and turned her head. "I want you to work with Neville." Buffy nodded and went over to Neville. Giles looked at Draco and said, "Draco, you look like you're ready so you can just rest until we begin the dueling." Draco grinned and sat down.

After another ten minutes, Giles called the class to order. To everyone's surprise, he paired every Gryffindor with a Slytherin close to their ability. The two that were the most surprised were Harry and Draco when Giles paired them up. Everyone knew they absolutely hated each other. It would be insane to pair them up. Giles merely grinned. Buffy smirked at her watcher's odd sense of humor.

Hermione and Pansy were the first two up. Pansy got the first shot out, "Stupify!" With the experience from previous D.A. meetings, Hermione managed to dodge the spell, sending one back in return.

"Expelliarmus!" Pansy's wand flew out of her hands. Hermione also sent a jelly-legs jinx right behind it, effectively hitting Pansy. Seeing that Pansy was unable to defend herself or react, Giles called and end to the match. Hermione was declared the winner.

"Very well done, Hermione." Giles complimented.

"Thank you, Professor." She replied.

As every pair went up and dueled, Giles noticed that most of the Gryffindors excelled in dueling while the Slytherins were just mediocre. To his surprise, even Neville did better than his opponent once he grew comfortable in his spells. This was due to the fact that most of the Gryffindors had participated in the Golden Trio's D.A. meetings. The one flaw that Giles perceived was that not one of them used any type of physical training as an advantage, most relying on their wands. Giles found that to be a little disappointing and decided that he would add a segment in the course to include basic self defense for the students. It was foolish to rely only on one's magic. You can never tell when you might be without your wand or unable to speak.

The last two up were Draco and Harry. They took their positions and counted off. Harry got the first shot. " Expelliarmus!" He shouted, sending Draco's wand flying. Then he shouted, "Stupify!" Draco used his training and dodged the spell quickly. He dived towards his wand and quickly grabbed it off of the floor. He rolled forward and ended up in a standing position, quickly sending off a spell of his own.

"Stupify!" He yelled. Harry just barely dodged the stunning spell. Draco fired another spell. This time it was a trip jinx. It hit Harry and he went down, but not before he fired another one of his own spells.

"Rictusempra!" It hit Draco dead on. He started laughing uncontrollably from the tickling sensation running through him. It gave Harry enough time to recover from Draco's previous jinx. He fired another spell. "Petrificus Totalus!"

"Protego!" Draco blocked the body-binding curse before it could touch him, sending it right back to Harry, who jumped out of the way in the nick of time. Draco inched his way closer to Harry, intending on using his other training, but Harry kept sending spells that were slowing him down.

The first was a stinging hex that had Draco shifting to the side before it could hit him. Then Harry sent a jelly-legs jinx which just missed Draco. When Draco saw an opening, he dove towards Harry and tackled him to the ground, knocking the wand out of Harry's hand.

"What the hell?" Harry shouted. He swung a fist at Draco's head, but it was blocked and countered with Draco's own punch to Harry's gut. "Ooommph!" Harry grunted when Draco's fist connected with his stomach. He stepped back and tried to punch Draco again, but this time Draco ducked. Then he swept Harry's legs from under him, sending Harry sprawling on the floor. Draco used the advantage to pin Harry and point his wand at Harry's face.

Give up, Potter?" Draco smirked at the shock on Harry's face. He had never really lost to Draco before, much less in such a humiliating way. He tried to get up, but found himself completely pinned.

"Alright, break it up!" Giles ended the duel. "I declare Draco, the winner." Draco got up and released Harry. He gave Harry a smug look when Harry bent down to pick up his fallen wand.

"What?" Harry yelled. "He cheated. I was unprepared for the physical fight. I didn't know he was going to use it and he tackled me!"

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I did say that it was allowed. Besides, in a real life situation, are you going to yell not fair when you are attacked unjustly? Do you think your opponent is going to care if he caught you off-guard?" Giles pointed out, making Harry flush slightly. "You of all people know that sometimes life isn't fair and it brings you some disadvantages. This was one of those times. In the end, Draco was the better fighter, thus making him the victor."

Harry looked at the shocked faces of his classmates. Even the other Slytherins looked surprised at Harry's defeat. It was a known fact that Harry usually got the best of Draco. He also noted the lack of surprise on Giles' and Buffy's faces, making him feel even more foolish. It was if they had expected him to lose. "Yes, Professor." Harry said reluctantly.

"Okay. Class dismissed."


	15. Making Deals

**Chapter Fifteen- Making Deals**

Harry entered Dumbledore's office with a knock, a little nervous because it had been a long time since he had been called into see the headmaster alone.

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" Harry asked. Dumbledore looked up at Harry with a smile.

"Ah, Harry! Yes, yes. Have a seat." Dumbledore waved Harry in. Harry sat down in the nearest chair facing the headmaster. "How are you doing, Harry?"

"I'm fine, Sir." Harry replied cautiously.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come to my office?" Harry nodded. "Professor Giles told me how the dueling went in DADA. I must say that I'm very proud of your house for showing such proficiency in dueling. I'm sure a lot of the credit goes to you and your friends for your D.A. meetings." Dumbledore smiled.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry said modestly. He didn't think it was that big of a deal. Maybe the initial idea had started with him and his friends, but everyone else made their own contributions, and it was because of those efforts that the D.A. was so successful.

"However, I was told that Mr. Malfoy gained the upper hand in your duel by using some physical fighting. Professor Giles pointed out that you were not happy with the results of that match." Dumbledore stated.

Harry looked away, his pride still demanding that the duel had been unfair because of the unexpected attack by Draco, but he knew deep down that Draco had been the better duelist in the end. Professor Giles had also made a very good point. If he were to be ambushed by Death Eaters, he couldn't very well yell, "Not fair!" and hope they would stop the attack. No, he would have to admit defeat or fight back. "Yes, Professor. Professor Giles allowed muggle fighting into the dueling. We were both firing spells at each other, with neither one of us actually winning until Draco tackled me. The force of the blow caused my wand to fly out of my hand. I tried to punch him, but he countered and had me on my back looking up at his wand in my face." Harry admitted reluctantly. He hated admitting that Draco had been better than him. He looked down at his hands. They were clenched in fists, and his knuckles were turning white.

"Yes, that brings me to my point. You need any advantage that you can get in this fight, including learning muggle fighting. Professor Giles was already planning on implementing it into his curriculum, but I want you to get extra lessons on the side. It can become a great advantage because most wizards rely on their magic. Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you can't use magic, it would be most useful to use your physical training." Dumbledore explained.

"Okay. So you want Professor Giles to give me extra lessons on muggle defense?" Harry asked curiously, wondering what Dumbledore was getting at.

"Not quite. I do want you to learn how to defend yourself, but it wasn't going to be solely with Professor Giles." Dumbledore said slyly.

Harry was starting to become suspicious. He only knew of one other person who could possibly help to teach him, but he wasn't very open to the idea of being tutored by said person. "Who are you thinking of, sir?"

"I want you to train with Buffy."

* * *

Xander walked into Angel's mansion with a frown on his face. He hated being there, but he promised that he would check on Angel. Willow would have his hide if he neglected to keep his promise. Really, it wasn't that he hated only Angel, it was vampires in general. In his opinion, all vampires and demons needed to be slayed. Okay, so maybe he hated Angel too. Soul or not, he was a monster. He drank blood to survive. That just wasn't right. And maybe, he was still a little jealous that Buffy allowed that thing to touch her, but wouldn't even give him the time of day. For the most part, he knew Buffy would never be his and accepted that, but there would always be a small part of him that would always be Buffy's. But Xander knew it was time to move on from that little hope. He had his own girlfriend who loved him, despite the fact that she never truly showed it. He knew Cordelia would never be with him if she didn't love him. It just wasn't her style to jeopardize her popularity unless it was something important. And he really did love her, maybe not the way he did Buffy, but it was love nonetheless. Now he was here, not exactly for Angel, but because he refused to be petty. Despite his feelings towards the vamp, Xander would help Angel get better because he was better than some jealous, lovesick, and spiteful fool. No, it was time for him to move on and let Buffy make her own choices.

Angel looked up from his chains to see Xander walking towards him. He lunged towards him and snarled loudly, making Xander stop and back up a little. Angel's chains just barely held him back.

"Whoa! Nice vamp." Xander said nervously. "How about we make a little deal?" He reached into the bag he was carrying and withdrew a packet with red liquid. Blood. He waved it in front of Angel's face.

Angel sniffed and caught the scent of the pig's blood. Food. His face shifted and his fangs appeared. His beast was hungry. He tried to thrust forward again, but the chains held firm.

"Hey! Be nice or no food!" Xander looked at Angel. Angel growled loudly. "I'll feed you the blood and in turn, you don't bite my hand off. Okay?" Xander cajoled. Angel still acted like a wild animal, but like any animal, food was a priority. The boy in front of him wasn't threatening him, only trying to feed him. Knowing this, Angel quieted down.

Xander reached out carefully with the blood and allowed Angel to sink his fangs into the blood packet. Angel drank hungrily. "Geez, no need to be greedy. There's more in the bag. God, this sucks! I'm not a damn nursemaid." Angel growled lightly, but kept on drinking. Xander fed Angel two more packets until Angel was satisfied. He put the remaining packets in the fridge and left. On his way out, Xander could be heard mumbling something about the wrongness of feeding bloodthirsty vamps.

* * *

Buffy sat on a bench waiting for Ginny, broom in hand. They were supposed to go flying. Buffy thought back to how much her life had changed since Sunnydale. She thought briefly about Angel. While it did hurt, Buffy was starting to think that it was for the best that he was no longer alive. Maybe they really weren't meant to be. At least that's what Whistler had said. Buffy was starting to think it was true. She also knew that she was drawn to Ginny. It was kind of confusing, but she didn't really want to analyze it right now, so she switched her thoughts to something less life-altering.

Buffy started thinking about how school was more enjoyable these days. Right now, she would've been sitting in the library with Willow and Xander, hiding from Snyder. She missed her friends, but she was much happier at Hogwart's. She had the opportunity to actually enjoy school, instead of wondering who was going to try and destroy the world. The downside though, was that it was far away from home, away from her mom. Buffy missed her mom, despite the fact she had left Sunnydale angry at her.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Buffy looked up to see Ginny smiling at her.

"Not much, really. Just thinking about my friends at home. My mom. I miss them." Buffy said a little sadly.

"I'm sorry. Anything I can do?" Ginny asked concerned.

"Nah. It's just that I haven't gotten a chance to see them since I came here, only talking to them through letters. I can't wait until the holidays. I plan on going home for Thanksgiving. I know you don't celebrate it here, but we do in the States. Plus, my mom and I weren't on the best of terms before I left. I'd like a chance to make things right with her." Buffy explained. She grimaced at the depressing thoughts. "Okay, enough of the gloomy talk. Let's go flying." Buffy stood up and gestured towards the quidditch pitch.

When they reached the pitch, Buffy turned to Ginny with a smile. "You wanna fly on a separate broom or do you wanna share again?"

"I think we should share again. None of the these other brooms will even come close to matching the feel of your broom. It's seriously the best broom I've ever flown on." Ginny stated sheepishly.

"Oh I see how it is. You're only my friend because you like my broom." Buffy teased.

"Not true. Sometimes I need help with my homework." Ginny teased back.

"That's not very comforting. I get the sense that I'm being used in this relationship. You chose a broom and some homework over me. Ouch!" Buffy pouted. Ginny laughed.

"Stop pouting, you big baby!" Ginny said playfully.

"Now you're calling fat and immature. Really feeling the love here." Buffy gave Ginny a mock glare.

Ginny patted Buffy on the shoulder in consolation. "Sorry. Forgive me?"

"Always." Buffy grinned.

"Good. Can we go flying now?" Ginny deadpanned.

"Demanding, aren't you?"

* * *

"What?!?" Harry exclaimed. "You want me to train with her? No way!"

"Not just you, but Ron and Hermione also because I know that they will not allow you to do this by yourself." Harry snorted. "Harry, please let me explain before you get angry." Dumbledore said calmly.

"Ha! That's rich. You actually willing to explain something to me? Since when?" Harry said bitterly. He gave Dumbledore a hard look.

"It has been recently brought to my attention that I've been too protective of you and you need to be treated as an adult, especially since you practically are one by wizarding laws." Dumbledore said softly.

"Really? And how did you come about this revelation?" Harry asked sarcastically. Dumbledore looked him straight in the eyes, showing Harry his sincerity.

"The very same person who I want you to train with. It was Buffy." Harry gave him a look of disbelief. "Harry, I know I've hidden things from you and it has been costly, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I'm sorry for what happened, but I still believe I had the best of intentions towards you. I still do." Dumbledore said apologetically. "But Buffy made me realize that my best intentions might have been hindering you."

"How do you mean?" Harry said suspiciously.

"She gave me some insight. You see, Harry, the two of you have more in common than you know. As you know, Buffy is the Slayer. It wasn't something given to her by choice. It was forced upon her just as your fate was forced upon you. Buffy was also a part of another prophecy that told her she was going to die. Like you, she was scared. Like me, there were those who hid it from her to protect her. In the end, she found out and went to face her fate." Dumbledore began to explain.

Harry gave Dumbledore an incredulous look. He didn't think any Slytherin was capable of showing that kind of courage. "Why would she do that?"

"She knew it was her duty. The Master, a very old vampire that I'm sure you've learned about, was going to rise. Buffy was the only one who could stop him." Dumbledore stated.

"Well I guess it went okay. She's still alive." Harry snarked.

"On the contrary, Buffy died that night." Harry's eyes widened. "Her friend revived her, and then she went on to defeat the Master. The point though, is that he wouldn't have risen if she hadn't gone to find him. He told her something that she explained to me. Prophecies are what you make of it, but it can't be avoided when set in motion and will always come true. That made me understand something that I've been blind to. The prophecy about you has already started. It's also about Buffy. She made me face the fact that even though many will fight in this war, only with the two of you working together will Voldemort be defeated for good. You two need to work together to defeat Voldemort. Buffy already knows this and accepts it. This is why I've realized that by not preparing you, I've made it harder for you to fight." Dumbledore replied. "Harry, I know you have a hard time trusting me, but do you believe that I would put you at risk intentionally?"

Harry felt a lump in his throat. "No, I don't think you would do that, but why Buffy? She's a Slytherin and friends with Draco Malfoy. Those are two bad combinations. Oh and let's not forget that her parents are Death Eaters." He argued.

"Harry, something you should understand is that Buffy has never known her real parents. You are really more alike than you know. You can't judge a person from the actions of their parents. The only parents she knows are the ones that raised her, and they have nothing to do with our world. You need to remember that you don't like being judged by Professor Snape by the actions of your father and his friends." Harry felt a slight blush creep up on his face. He knew that Dumbledore had a point. "I know you have valid doubts, but if you trust that I would never put you at risk, then you have to trust in Buffy. Buffy is a Slayer. She was chosen for a reason and was meant to fight on the side of goodness. Do you think that a truly evil person would be chosen by destiny to be entrusted with the fate of human kind?" Dumbledore defended.

"No." Harry said reluctantly. "But if she is on our side, then why is she a Slytherin and hanging out with Malfoy?"

"She could be a Slytherin for a number of reasons. Not all Slytherins were bad. It could be because she's a pureblood. Or it could be because she is actually more cunning than she lets anyone know. Her watcher didn't even know that Buffy was as intelligent as she is because she acted ditzy towards him and her friends. I believe her reasoning for it was because everyone expects so much out of her already that she didn't need more expectations. Sound familiar?" Dumbledore gave Harry a pointed look. Harry looked away. Sometimes he felt like people expected too much out of him too. "Another reason for Slytherin could be because she is a Slayer. A lot of her power is ancient and rooted in darkness."

"But then why wouldn't she be evil?" Harry was curious.

"I don't know if you are familiar with the lore of the slayer, but many years ago when demons walked the earth, the world needed someone to protect humans from those demons. What better way to fight fire than with fire?" Harry gave him a confused look. "What I mean, is that they needed a demon to fight demons, especially because of the physical advantages demons had over humans. Using magic, they infused a young girl with the essence of a demon, making her stronger and faster than normal humans. She was chosen to be the one girl in the world to rid the world of its evil. She became the Slayer. When one dies, another is called. That is what happened to Buffy. Even though her power is rooted in darkness, it is used for good. It was meant for it. I also think that Buffy is the type of person who would never allow an innocent to be harmed if she could help it. Sort of like another young man I know." Dumbledore gave Harry a small smile.

"As for being friends with Draco, I think she also has the ability to look deeper and see something else worth knowing. I know that he has never been nice to you or your friends and I don't expect you to ever get along with him, but if you keep hating him, it will eat you up inside. I know that he's not the nicest person, but I believe that Draco suffers from a lot of pressures that we cannot even conceive. His father is not a man to defy, as you well know. I think Buffy has been trying to help him from falling into his father's footsteps. I also think that Draco wants to be a better person. Buffy is not the type to abandon her friends, and that is what Draco is to her, a friend." Dumbledore finished explaining. "If your friends were having problems, would you ignore them?" Harry shook his head. He would do anything for his friends. "Would you also be able to allow more innocent people to be harmed just because of your own personal feelings?" Harry shook his head.

"Good. So you understand that there may be more to this entire situation than just your own slightly biased view?" Dumbledore asked cautiously. He didn't want Harry to think that he was unjust in his suspicions, just that there might be other factors to weigh in.

"Yes, Sir. I understand. I'll be honest. I don't like Buffy. I probably never will and I'll never completely trust her, but I understand that we need to work together. So for now, I'll trust you and give her the benefit of the doubt." Harry said bluntly. "The fact that she is friends with Malfoy makes me leery of the entire situation, but as you implied, I'm biased. After all of the crap Malfoy has pulled on me and my friends, I don't see how he could be worth a second look, but I'll let it go for now." The usual twinkle in Dumbledore's eye appeared once again. He grinned slyly. Harry got the feeling that he was manipulated once again by the old wizard. He knew he was right when Dumbledore spoke.

"Excellent. You and your friends start training with Buffy tonight."


	16. Unexpected Surprises

**Chapter Sixteen- Unexpected Surprises**

"Dirty, sneaky, old bastard! Of all the underhanded--" Harry grumbled as he stormed into the Gryffindor common rooms.

Ron and Hermione quickly got up and hurried over to Harry.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Did you run into Snape or something?" Ron frowned.

"Huh? No, why would you think that?" Harry asked confused.

"Well with the way you came in here ranting, I thought you got another detention." Ron said as if it were the only possible answer.

"Oh." Harry said sheepishly. "Um...that wasn't it at all. I was actually talking about Professor Dumbledore." Ron and Hermione's eyes widened. Not very many students would talk about the headmaster like the way Harry was when he first came in.

"Harry! You shouldn't talk about professors like that. It's very disrespectful." Hermione admonished.

"Yea, yea. No need for the lecture, 'Mione. It's just that he caught me by surprise and I'm still trying to get my head around it." Harry explained.

"Bloody hell, mate. What did the crazy old guy do to make you lose it?" Ron wondered. Hermione slapped him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ron asked defensively. Hermione gave him a pointed look. He winced. Then she turned to Harry.

"So what did Professor Dumbledore ask you to do?" She asked curiously.

"You know how the prophecy says that Buffy and I need to work together in order to defeat Voldemort?" Both Ron and Hermione flinched at the name, but nodded after. "Well because of that, Professor Dumbledore wants me train with her, working on physical combat especially." Harry grimaced at the thought.

"What?" Both Ron and Hermione cried out.

"Has he completely lost it? Did he forget that she's evil?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione smacked him on the arm.

"Ron! Professor Dumbledore must have his reasons for asking Harry to do this. Right, Harry?" She looked over to Harry for his agreement. He nodded.

"Yea. He said it's because he wants me to be as prepared as I possibly can. Since wizards mostly rely on their wands, this is supposed to be an advantage. The only problem for me is that Buffy is going to be the one teaching me along with Professor Giles. She is the Slayer, after all. " Harry explained. Ron and Hermione frowned.

"Apparently, he had a talk with Buffy about how his trying to protect me isn't really helping me, and he knows that the prophecy can't be avoided, which is why I have to train with Buffy. He also heard about how Malfoy gained the upper hand in DADA using physical combat. It just further proves that I need to learn how to fight without a wand." Harry sighed glumly. Working with Buffy wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"How do you know it's not some sort of a trap she planned out to get you alone?" Ron asked. His brows were knit together in a frown. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Professor Dumbledore made some very good points about why I need to work with her. He made me realize that there are several reasons why she's in Slytherin and it's not necessarily bad ones. She is a pureblood, and not all of them were evil. Also he mentioned that it could be because she is a Slayer. Her power is rooted in darkness, but used for good. Buffy was chosen by higher powers to protect humanity. It's not something to be taken lightly. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to trust him by trusting that Buffy is on our side, so I am giving her a chance." Harry explained slowly.

"What about her Death Eater parents? Did he forget about those too?" Ron persisted.

"Well, it was pointed out to me that Buffy has never known her real parents and was brought up by people who don't even have anything to do with the wizarding world. They're muggles. Up until recently, Buffy thought that they were her real parents. She wouldn't have had the time to learn pureblood prejudices from them. Dumbledore made me understand that it's rather unfair to judge her based on the actions of her parents. It's exactly what Snape does to me, and if I do the same, I would be no better than that greasy git." Harry elaborated.

"Blimey, Harry. I don't know what to say, except that I wouldn't want to be in your shoes." Ron gave him a sympathetic pat on his back. Harry scowled at Ron's slightly mocking tone. Then he realized he could still have his revenge. Albeit, a small one, but so very satisfying.

"Yea, Harry. Don't worry, though. We're here to support you the entire way." Hermione added.

"Thanks guys. I'm glad that you will always be there to watch my back." Harry had to stifle his laugh. He was about to drop the bomb on them.

"No problem, Harry. You're our friend." Ron said cheerfully. "And friends are always there for each other." Hermione nodded.

"That's good to know because I'm happy that we'll all be in this together and I won't be alone." Harry snickered quietly.

"What do you mean, we'll all be in this together?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Ron gave them a confused look. He didn't know where this was going. A slightly evil smirk appeared on Harry's face.

"Oh nothing. Just that Professor Dumbledore doesn't want just me to train with Buffy. He wants you and Ron to take lessons too, especially since you two always insist on helping me. In fact, our first lesson begins tonight." Harry sniggered. Hermione began to make a great fish impression while Ron chose speak up.

"Wha—I don't--Oh bloody hell."

* * *

Buffy and Ginny sat on the grass looking up at the sky. They had gone flying, but were now just enjoying each other's company.

"This was fun." Ginny nudged Buffy with shoulder playfully. Buffy smiled.

"I think so too. Though I'm still wondering if you like my broom more than me." Buffy joked. Ginny laughed.

"Don't be silly. Of course, I like your broom more than you. It is the fastest broom out there." Buffy gave her a mock scowl.

"Ha! I knew it!" Buffy said with mock outrage. She got a devious look on her face which made Ginny lean back warily.

"Buffy? What are you doing?" Ginny said nervously. Buffy pounced on Ginny, held her down firmly beneath her, and began to tickle her unmercifully. Ginny screamed with laughter as Buffy's fingers moved quickly over her body. She tried to buck Buffy off, but was no match for slayer strength.

"Say uncle!" Buffy said laughingly as she tickled Ginny's armpits. Ginny writhed beneath her, crying with laughter.

"Never!" She shouted stubbornly. "Ahhh!" Buffy moved her hands to Ginny's sides, making Ginny shriek. "Please stop. I can't breathe!" Ginny giggled breathlessly.

"Say it!" Buffy tickled Ginny's side a little more, making Ginny laugh harder.

"Okay, okay! I give in! Uncle!" Ginny gasped for air in between her bouts of laughter.

"That'll teach you not to mess with a slayer." Buffy looked into Ginny's eyes, her own eyes twinkling with mischief. She noticed how pretty Ginny looked when she was happy. It was something carefree and untarnished, pure innocence. Buffy felt herself slightly aroused by the sight, the irises in her eyes darkening. Ginny felt her breath catch as she stared into Buffy's eyes. She leaned forward slowly.

Buffy also moved closer to Ginny's mouth. Their lips met halfway, in the most sweetest of kisses. Both felt tingles when their lips touched. It wasn't really chaste, but it wasn't a hungry one either. Buffy applied a little more pressure, deepening the kiss, causing Ginny to whimper. When air became an issue for the both of them, Buffy released Ginny's lips.

"Wow!" Ginny said breathlessly. She had been kissed before, but never by another girl and she had never felt such sparks either. Not even with Harry. That kiss had sent major tingles into Ginny. Ginny felt a pang of guilt set in. She knew Harry still loved her and his reasoning for breaking up was to protect her, but it had still broken her heart. It had taken her the entire summer to recover from that heartbreak. She had been in love with him forever, and when they finally got together, it had been the happiest day of her life. It only lasted for a short while before Harry broke it off. She couldn't honestly say that she was entirely over Harry, but it didn't stop her from being attracted to Buffy. And right now, Ginny found Buffy more appealing than Harry.

"Uh huh." Buffy was just as dumbfounded. Unbeknownst to Ginny, Buffy was also having similar thoughts about Angel. She had once thought that Angel was the love of her life and that she would never love another ever again, but she had felt something much deeper when she had kissed Ginny than she had ever felt with Angel. It was a connection of sorts, one that went straight to her soul. Her problem: Ginny was a girl. Buffy was having a hard time accepting that. She didn't mean to kiss Ginny. Her lips just stumbled and fell onto Ginny's. Right? Right... She wasn't gay, was she?

"Um... I should probably get going." Buffy said awkwardly. Ginny's face fell a little and Buffy noticed. "It's just that I need to meet with Giles in a little bit. We're supposed to give Harry and his entourage lessons in physical combat." Buffy rushed to explain, not liking the fact that she caused Ginny's disappointment.

"Oh. I had heard that Draco beat him in DADA. Harry was a little upset about that." Ginny commented dully. She could tell that Buffy was trying to avoid what had just happened.

"Yea, it was a great show. That's not the only reason that Harry needs to learn how to fight though. Dumbledore had asked me before that whole duel thing happened. Draco's win just proved why it was necessary. Most wizards rely on their wands. Knowing how to fight without it would be advantageous to anyone. Ron and Hermione are also learning because they insist on fighting with Harry." Buffy stated. She was sort of relieved that Ginny wasn't pushing the issue of the kiss, but at the same time she was disappointed. Was she the only one that had felt something?

"That makes sense. It sounds pretty useful." Ginny said wistfully. She wouldn't mind Buffy teaching her something new. It would give them a chance to hang out more and maybe, just maybe, get in a few more kisses.

"It is. Maybe you can join us after a few lessons?" Buffy offered. She didn't like the thought of Ginny not being able to defend herself properly.

"Really?" Ginny asked excitedly. Buffy nodded.

"Yea, but it won't be right away. I want Harry, Ron, and Hermione to get used to me first. Let them get a chance to know me. I can still show you some stuff on the side, if you want." Buffy looked at Ginny questioningly.

"That would be nice. I love hanging out with you." Ginny said shyly. She was worried that the kiss might have ruined things between them.

"So do I." Buffy admitted reluctantly.

"Look, Ginny--"

"Buffy--"

They both stopped and laughed. Ginny motioned for Buffy to go first.

"Ginny, about the kiss...I don't really know how it happened. I've never wanted to kiss a girl before." Buffy said cautiously. She didn't want Ginny to think that she didn't like it. It might hurt her feelings.

"Well Buffy, neither have I, but I did like it. I felt something that I haven't felt with anyone. I'm not going to lie and say that I don't want to do it again either, because I do." Ginny looked directly into Buffy's eyes.

Buffy sighed. The truth was, she did too, but she was scared about her feelings.

"Ginny, I'll admit that I felt something too, but I'm not sure that I could be with another girl. I need to think about it first." Buffy said as honestly as she could. Ginny gave Buffy a disappointed look, making Buffy wince inwardly. She looked away. Buffy felt like an ass for doing that to Ginny.

"That's fair enough, I guess." Ginny turned Buffy's head to face her. "It's not something that everyone can just accept. A lot of people will probably look down on you for it too. I just want to you think about something." Before Buffy could do anything, Ginny pulled her in for a much more demanding and hungry kiss than the first one. And as quickly as she grabbed Buffy, Ginny did the same with letting her go and walking away, not turning back once. Buffy just stood there with a glazed look, touching her fingers to her lips dazedly.

* * *

When Buffy arrived to her training room, she saw that Giles was already waiting for her with an irritated look on his face. She was twenty minutes late.

"Buffy, where have you been? You're late." Giles demanded.

"Sorry, Giles. I got caught up thinking about some stuff and lost track of time." Buffy said sheepishly. Giles felt his agitation start to melt away. It wasn't as if she had meant to piss him off this time. Everyone was entitled to do some deep thinking...even Buffy.

"Yes, well don't let it happen again." He said gruffly, not wanting to let her off too easily. Surprisingly, Buffy just nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we should come up with a basic regimen for them to follow during their training. This is something that they can follow when we aren't available to help them." Giles stated. "We also need to take in stock on their skill level when they get here so we can adjust out teaching methods around them. I also think it would be prudent to teach them the meditation exercises that you taught Draco. Professor Dumbledore mentioned that Harry also has a problem focusing during their Occlumency lessons. This will help him learn to clear his thoughts. Maybe you can help him with that as well?" Giles gave Buffy a questioning look.

"Sounds like a plan, except for that last part." Buffy agreed. Giles lifted a brow. "It's just that he hates me almost as much as he does Professor Snape. It's probably bad enough that I'm teaching him how to fight. Helping him with Occlumency would make the tension worse. I don't think my presence would be helpful for that. Maybe when he learns to trust me, then I could offer my help." Buffy explained. Giles nodded thoughtfully.

They spent the next half hour going over their lesson plans until the Golden Trio arrived, looking very unhappy with the situation.

"Hello children." Giles smiled. They gave him awkward smiles.

"Hi, Professor." They chimed.

"Why don't you three step inside?" Giles moved his arm in a sweeping gesture, signaling for them to enter.

When they entered, they looked around the room in wonderment until they saw Buffy standing off to the side. Ron and Harry scowled, while Hermione frowned.

"Hey guys." Buffy greeted politely.

"Hey." They replied abruptly. Buffy ignored the sliver of annoyance threatening to break through. This was going to be a long night.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked Buffy, somewhat forcefully. Buffy nodded and led him to the opposite corner of the room for privacy.

"You wanted to talk?" Buffy asked.

"Yea, I just had a few things I wanted to say. I don't like you and I don't really trust you. Reason being, you're a Slytherin and you're friends with Malfoy, who has been a bastard to us since our first year. Anyone who hangs around that git is already bad news in my book. The only reason I'm here is because Professor Dumbledore trusts you and we need to be able to work together to defeat Voldemort." Harry stated.

"I see. I guess it's fair to tell you that the feeling is sort of mutual. I'm here for the same reason you are. We need to be able to work together for the greater good." Buffy said. "One thing you should know is that while we're training, I expect you and your friends to work hard and listen to me too, not just Giles. I also expect everyone to act civil around each other. I don't want our petty differences to distract us during training. I'm using my own free time to help you because Dumbledore asked. This is not something I wanted either." Buffy gave Harry a pointed look.

"Agreed. Good. Since we have everything settled, we should get back to the others." Harry suggested. Buffy nodded her agreement. They walked back to the rest of the group.

"Wonderful. Now that everyone's here, we can start our lessons. First off, the three of you should line up facing us on the mats." Giles explained. The three Gryffindors did as they were told, even if it was reluctantly.

"Perfect. Secondly, Buffy and I want to see how well you all know the basics. We'll take you through a small exercise to assess your skill level. From there, we can adjust your individual training. Now lets get started." Giles took them through their paces as Buffy observed the three of them silently.

Both Ron and Harry seemed to get the general idea of a punch, but were sloppy in their technique. Hermione, surprisingly, threw a pretty good punch. However, when it came to kicking, all three of them were horrible. Not one of them seemed to be able to find their balance long enough actually finish the movement. They were all sloppy and awkward. Hermione actually fell on her first attempt. It was almost as if their coordination had disappeared. Buffy sighed. Yes, this was going to be a very long night.

**Please review. I'm starved for attention.**


	17. Dazed and Confused

**Chapter Seventeen- Dazed and Confused**

Ginny entered her bedroom and dropped down on her bed, somewhat shocked at herself. She had just made a pass at Buffy. _'Sweet Merlin. What was I thinking?'_ She mused. At the time, she wanted to give Buffy something to think about instead of her dismissing the possibility, which had been Buffy's original intent. Now Ginny was wondering if she might have gone too far with that last kiss. To be honest, it had left her wanting more from Buffy, but she was left with too many questions on her own feelings that she didn't know the answers to. She was also conflicted with her residual feelings from Harry. Was she ready to move on if Buffy decided that she wanted Ginny? It had been months since she broke up with Harry, but she had been in love with him for a long time. Did her feelings really change that much in such a short period of time? Also, how would everyone react to her being with another girl, especially her family? Ginny soon found herself facing more questions than she had before and having no answers for any of them.

* * *

The next day, Buffy walked into the Potions classroom in a daze. She quickly sat down next to Draco, who gave her a questioning look. She shrugged it away, not knowing how to explain her thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking of Ginny and her lips. She closed her eyes in remembrance. Buffy could still feel those soft lips against her own and the multitude of feelings they invoked within her.

"Attention, class!" Professor Snape barked out loudly, causing Buffy to quickly come out of her stupor. "Since winter is on it's way, I've decided to make today's class a little more relevant to the season. Can anyone tell me who invented the Pepperup Potion?"

Hermione raised her hand anxiously. Snape ignored her. "Summers!" Buffy sat up straighter.

"Yes, sir?" Buffy asked hesitantly.

"Summers, can you tell me who invented the Pepperup Potion?" Snape stared at her. Buffy shifted uncomfortably. She didn't really like being singled out.

"Um, sure. Glover Hipworth invented the Pepperup Potion, sir." Buffy replied confidently.

"Excellent. Five points to Slytherin for answering correctly." The Slytherins smirked while the Gryffindors scowled.

"Draco, what is this particular potion commonly used for?" Snape asked.

"It is commonly used for colds and the flu." Draco answered.

"Correct. Five more points to Slytherin." Snape stated. "Lastly, who can tell me what the side-effect of taking the potion is?" Hermione shot up her hand again. Snape ignored her once more. "Anyone?" Hermione waved her hand in hopes of getting his attention, but it was pointless. Snape refused to call on her. "No one? Very well, I am going to have to call on someone instead."

"But sir--" Hermione protested, but was cut off.

"Silence, Ms. Granger!" Snape's voice boomed with authority.

"But--"Hermione persisted.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Hermione quickly shut her mouth. Snape gave her a smug smile. "Now is there anything else you would like to add?" Hermione shook her head. "Good." Snape looked around and his eyes narrowed on Neville Longbottom, who was trying unsuccessfully to shrink in his seat. "Mr. Longbottom?" Snape inquired.

"Yes, sir?" Longbottom replied dreadfully.

"What is the side-effect of the Pepperup Potion?" Snape asked, towering over Neville's shoulder.

"Uh-uh, t-the s-s-side e-e--" Neville stuttered out. He couldn't think when Snape hovered over him.

"We don't have all day. Answer the question." Snape said spitefully.

"T-the s-side e-e-effect o-of t-t-tak-k-king t-the p-p-p-p--" Neville tried to get out.

"Oh forget it! At this rate, we'll all be dead before you manage to spit it out." Neville lowered his head in shame. Buffy couldn't help but feel sorry for him and glared at Snape, who promptly ignored it. "Ms. Parkinson, can you tell me the answer?" Snape dismissed the glowers from the Gryffindors.

"Yes sir. Steam comes out of the ears from those who take the potion." Pansy said smugly.

"You are correct. Five points to Slytherin. Good work." Snape smirked.

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

Giles sat in his office scouring through all of the information that Dumbledore had given him regarding Tom Riddle, A.K.A. Voldemort. He was trying to find a way to defeat Voldemort for good. He had learned from Dumbldore that Voldemort had found a way to keep coming back, never truly dying. As he read over a set of notes, he paused when he reached a line. He frowned, then crosschecked his information in his books. His eyes widened in surprise at his discovery.

"Good lord!" He exclaimed to himself.

He took off his glasses and began to polish them. Then he put them back on. If his hunch was right, then they might have made a breakthrough in this war. He quickly gathered his books and headed out the door. He needed to talk to Dumbledore.

* * *

Draco and Buffy walked into the Slytherin common rooms, Buffy being extremely quiet. Draco turned to her in concern.

"Summers, what's up with you today? You were drifting off in class until Professor Snape called on you, and even now, you're so quiet that I'm wondering if you were hit with a silencing spell." Draco smirked when Buffy scowled at him.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking about some things." Buffy evaded. Draco didn't buy it.

"Then why do you look like someone took your favorite broom away?" Draco asked drolly.

Buffy blushed slightly. She really didn't want to talk to Draco or anyone else about her current problems. She didn't think that Draco would judge her for it. In fact, his perverse nature might actually enjoy the thought of her kissing Ginny, but she just wasn't ready to say it out loud.

"Drake, just drop it okay?" Draco's eye narrowed, but he didn't push.

"Alright, for now. I just want you to know that when you're ready to talk, I'll be right here." He gave her a light pat on her back. Buffy nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Buffy said relieved.

"No problem. You did the same for me." Draco said sincerely.

* * *

The Golden Trio walked stiffly into their common rooms after class. Buffy and Professor Giles had worked them pretty hard the night before. Who knew that Buffy was actually a drill sergeant?

"Merlin! I just want to lay down and never move again. I mean, I don't really like classes, but today, I really thought that going to class felt like dying a slow, painful death." Ron whined.

"I know what you mean. As much as I hate to admit this, Buffy really knows her stuff. She had me using muscles that I didn't even know existed. I didn't even want to get out of bed today. I'm just glad that we didn't have to walk around too much in any of my classes." Harry groaned.

"Well, I think that just proves that Buffy's evil. She didn't seem to have much sympathy last night. She had to have known that we would all be sore today." Ron pouted.

"Ron, stop being so silly!" Hermione admonished half-heartedly. She was too sore to do anything else. Silently, she agreed with Ron. Buffy was evil. So was Professor Giles. Her body ached everywhere. As soon as she was able, she planned to look up something for the aches and pains. She wasn't sure if a bruise-healing paste was what she wanted. She needed something for sore and stiff muscles. Then she would make it... in bulk.

* * *

Buffy entered her training room intending to work out some frustrations, only to see Ginny waiting for her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Ginny! What are you doing in here?" Buffy exclaimed. She had been expecting to see Ginny. She was hoping to avoid her until she could sort out her feelings. Though truth be told, she was sort of happy to see Ginny standing there.

"I mentioned to Professor Giles that you offered to teach me how to fight without a wand. He thinks it's a great idea, by the way. I told him that we were supposed to start tonight, but that you forgot to tell me where to meet. He gave me directions on how to get here and the password to enter. I've been waiting for a while now." Ginny said sheepishly.

"Oh." Buffy said dumbly. She didn't know what to say. She felt sort of like she was ambushed and there was no way out of it but to plunge right ahead.

Ginny sensed Buffy's discomfort and tried to make her relax. "Don't worry. I'm not here to pressure you about the kiss. I just want to hang out with you. Maybe we can start my training for real?" Ginny suggested. Ginny had spent most of last night thinking about her and Buffy, and about her and Harry. She had actually came to the conclusion that she would follow her heart. If her heart led her to Buffy, then so be it. Trying to figure everything out was too complicated and draining, both mentally and emotionally. It was better to just go with it, instead of fighting it. She only hoped that Buffy would make up her mind soon.

Buffy eyed Ginny warily. On one hand, she was still confused. On the other, there was a little part of her that reveled in Ginny's company. Finally, she nodded her consent.

"Okay. First, you need to get some workout clothes. Robes are too restricting. Come stand over here." Buffy motioned to the spot directly in front of her. Ginny obeyed. "Wait here for a minute." Buffy went back into her room and came out with some clothes and an extra pair of tennis shoes. "Put these on." She said briskly. She knew she could have just used magic and changed Ginny's robes into workout clothes, but she was still used her muggle ways. Plus she liked the idea of Ginny wearing something of hers. It was kind of like marking her territory. Whoa! Marking her territory? Where the hell did that come from?

Ginny began to undress without thinking. Buffy's eyes became huge when she saw Ginny uncovered skin. She blushed then turned away, feeling awkward, but having a big urge to turn back around. Ginny smirked at Buffy's embarrassment. She was used to sharing a room with the other girls in Gryffindor. It didn't even occur to her that Buffy would care, but she was secretly pleased with Buffy's reaction.

"Okay. All done. You can turn back around now, Buffy." Ginny grinned when Buffy refused to look at her eyes.

"Right. Lets begin with the basics. I want to see you throw a punch." Buffy watched as Ginny cocked her fist back and released. Not too bad. "That was pretty good, but your stance is a little off and your punch needs to have more of a snap to it. Like this." Buffy demonstrated a couple of times to make sure Ginny understood what she meant.

Ginny watched Buffy move and thought it was beautiful to watch. Buffy was confident and graceful in her movements. It made Ginny feel gangly. When Buffy was done, she motioned for Ginny to pick up where she left off. Ginny furrowed her brow as she concentrated on mimicking Buffy's movements.

"You're trying too hard. Your body looks so stiff and uncomfortable. Try to relax a little." Buffy said gently.

"Sorry." Ginny said apologetically. She took a deep breath and threw another punch.

"That was much better. Very good." Buffy complimented. She had Ginny learn the different types of punches, going through several sets before moving on to kicking. Ginny, like most, had a harder time with that movement, but she managed to keep her balance for the most part. Ginny could do roundhouse and snap kicks fairly decent, but her side kicks were lacking. She didn't know how to use proper technique and keep her balance at the same time. Buffy had Ginny balance on one leg and lean back, while she sort of helped her balance by holding her.

"Good. Now I want you to strike with your other leg in a kick." Buffy instructed. Ginny kicked, but almost fell in the process. "Here, let me show you." Buffy held Ginny in the right stance, then she lifted Ginny's leg to finish the kick. She made sure that Ginny's knee was fully raised before she had her extend her leg. "See, it should look more like that in tighter, cleaner movements." Ginny felt herself getting distracted as Buffy ran her hands over her leg. All she could do was give a noncommittal answer.

"Mmm hmm." Ginny said distractedly.

Buffy wasn't really faring any better. She was enjoying the feel of running her hands over Ginny's body. It actually took a lot of will power to stop herself from doing more, but it was waning quickly. She leaned more into Ginny, unconsciously wanting to get closer to the other girl.

"Buffy? What are you doing?" Ginny asked stiffly when she heard Buffy's breathing quicken and felt Buffy lean in closer to her. Ginny quickly put her leg down and turned around in Buffy's arms, facing her. She didn't want to do something that Buffy would regret later. If she was going to do this, she wanted Buffy to be sure.

Buffy was tired of fighting her feelings. She couldn't stop herself, feeling almost compelled to touch Ginny. She stroked Ginny's cheek lightly. "Sshh. Just go with it." She murmured reassuringly. She brushed her lips gently against Ginny's, applying minimal pressure. She wanted to ease in to the kiss first, allowing them to get used to each other. Then she slipped her tongue into Ginny's mouth, lightly stroking and teasing Ginny's tongue. Ginny met Buffy's tongue tentatively, allowing Buffy to lead. Buffy took Ginny's tongue into her mouth and lightly sucked on it. Ginny whimpered. When the kiss ended, both girls had flushed faces.

"That was still--Wow!" Ginny said breathlessly. She looked over at Buffy and saw that she was just as affected.

"Yea." Buffy agreed with a glazed look. Ginny frowned.

"So what now?" She asked Buffy, unsure of where they stood. Buffy looked at her questioningly.

"What are we going to do about us? Was this another fluke or is it something more?" Ginny elaborated. Buffy sighed deeply. Why did her life have to be so complicated?

"I'm not sure."

**Please review! I like to know if anyone is actually reading my story, and if he/she likes it. **

**If you don't, I might cry. :-(**


	18. Secrets Kept

**Chapter Eighteen- Secrets Kept**

**AN: Thank you to everyone who are reading and reviewing.**

Giles entered Dumbledore's office hurriedly. He saw the older wizard look up from his desk with the usual twinkle in his eyes and a smile.

"Ah...Rupert. What can I help you with?" Dumbledore inquired.

Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them. He cleared his throat. "Ahem...right." Giles put his glasses back on before speaking. "Well, I may have made an important discovery." Giles replied excitedly.

"Really? Would you like to explain?" Dumbledore motioned for Giles to continue.

"I was going over everything that you've given me on Tom Riddle/Voldemort and I came across something interesting. You mentioned that Voldemort has been coming back in some shape or form consistently since Harry's first year." Dumbledore nodded his confirmation. "Everything that you told me leads me to believe that Voldemort managed to make horcruxes of himself to keep himself alive longer." Giles explained.

"That makes sense. Especially after the Chamber of Secrets incident with Tom's diary. You think he managed to make more than one?" Dumbledore looked at Giles questioningly. Giles nodded.

"Yes, I do. If we can find and destroy all of the horcruxes that he left behind, then I believe that Voldemort can be defeated for good." Giles stated.

"Hmm... I shall start looking for them immediately. I'll have to inform Severus because I might need his assistance. If I know Tom, finding them will be a very difficult and dangerous task." Dumbledore said gravely.

"There's one thing that I think you need to know first." Giles said.

"What is it?" Dumbledore saw a slightly guilty look on Giles face.

"After what you told me about how Voldemort was defeated the first time and how he regained his body back, I also believe that Harry may have become one of Voldemort's horcruxes, and vice versa, but unknowingly to the both of them. I also think that is why the prophecy states that 'either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives'. They are each other's horcruxes. If only one dies, he will keep coming back as long as the other one lives. Therefore, they must both die in order to defeat Voldemort for good. And because Voldemort marked Harry, he is the only one who can kill Voldemort." Giles replied awkwardly. Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle and his mouth set in a straight line. Giles looked away as Dumbledore spoke tightly.

"I see. I think it might be a good idea to keep this to ourselves for now. I want to be able to make sure we can actually acquire the rest of the horcruxes and destroy them before telling Harry that he must die in order for us to win this war. He already has enough to deal with."

"Very well, Albus. As you wish." Giles said resignedly. He didn't want to have to keep things from his slayer, but he knew how Dumbledore felt. He already went through this with Buffy. He had tried to hide it from her, but she found out anyway and reacted badly. Who wouldn't? No one liked to find out they were going to die, much less at a young age. He suspected Harry would probably react the same as Buffy, which is why he agreed with Dumbledore. Finally, he nodded and left Dumbledore to his own musings.

* * *

Faith walked into the library and dropped herself in a chair. Willow, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia were already sitting there.

"Hey guys." Faith looked around the table. They all looked up from their books with different expressions. Faith found herself amused by the faces before her. Cordelia looked bored. Xander looked slightly pissed. Oz had a blank stare. Willow was the only one who looked like she was enjoying herself.

"Oh hey, Faith. What's up?" Oz greeted her politely.

"I'm five by five. What's going on?" Faith looked at the books questioningly.

"Nothing much. We're just researching about portals and how Angel could have come back." Willow replied.

"Cool. Where's Wes? Does he know what you're looking at?" Faith asked softly, just in case Wesley was near.

"Oh no. He had to run an errand. He won't be back for a while. That's why we're researching." Willow said brightly.

"Yea. Can I say how much FUN this really is?" Xander said sarcastically. He could care less about how Angel came back. He just wanted to know how much longer he would be playing nursemaid.

Faith smiled at Xander's sarcasm. Privately, she agreed with him on Angel. She didn't really see what was the big deal about him. Who cared why Angel was back? Every time she was near him, she had an urge to stake him. Not that she would ever say that around Willow. It would make her hyperventilate combined with babbling first, then Resolve Face would kick in."How's he doing anyway?"

"He still doesn't recognize any of us, but he seems to have calmed down a little more. I'm just worried about when Buffy comes home in a couple of weeks. What if he gets back to normal and asks about her? What if he shows up around us when she's here? What if she mentions him? You know I can't lie. Or what about if she finds out that we knew he came back, but didn't tell her. She'll be so mad. I don't want her to hate me." Willow said anxiously. Oz gave her a fond smile. He loved her babbling.

"Whoa, chill Red. No one is gonna hate you." Faith held up her hand. Oz rubbed her back soothingly.

"Yea, Wills. Don't be silly. Buffy might get mad, but she won't hate you." Xander gave her shoulder a small squeeze. Cordelia mumbled her agreement.

"See? We'll just have to see how it goes for now. If Angel gets better before B comes back, then we'll tell her. If he's still the same, then we won't say nuthin. Ok?" Faith said reassuringly.

"Okay, but I don't like lying to my best friend." Willow said reluctantly. Faith grinned at Willow's pout.

"It aint lying if you don't say nuthin."

"Faith, it's still lying by omission." Willow pointed out. Faith shrugged.

"Meh. You say tomato. I say potato." Faith said nonchalantly.

"Faith, it's tomahto." Willow corrected, emphasizing the word differently.

"Yea, that's what I meant."

* * *

Buffy was in the library writing a paper for Transfiguration when everything went dark. A pair of hands now covered her eyes. Buffy felt a small flash of annoyance go through her. She really needed to finish this paper, get ready to train with Potter and his groupies, then patrol afterwards. She didn't have much time left if she planned on eating dinner first.

"Guess who?" A feminine voice whispered in her ear. Ginny. Buffy felt her irritation rise, as well as her arousal. Despite Ginny's words, she still felt like she was being pressured into a relationship, but she knew she also harbored feelings for the feisty redhead.

"Ginny, I really don't have time for this. I gotta finish this, eat dinner, get ready for training, and then go out on patrol after. I can't have any distractions right now." Buffy said exasperated. She removed the hands from her face and continued to write her paper, ignoring Ginny completely. Ginny's face fell at Buffy's abruptness.

"Sorry. It's just that I saw you across the room and I wanted to come over and say hi. I guess it was a bad idea. I'll just leave you to your paper then." Ginny said softly. She turned around and walked away quickly. Tears were threatening to come down her face, but she refused to cry in public.

Buffy looked up and sighed. She watched as Ginny left the area, discreetly wiping her eyes. Aw hell. She made Ginny cry. Now she felt bad. She knew she would have to go find Ginny after she finished her paper. There would be no dinner now, and it was possible that she would be late to training. Buffy rubbed her face in her hands and mumbled to herself.

"Shit, I am such an ass."

* * *

After Buffy finished her homework, she went in search of Ginny. She found her sitting on a bench, staring off towards the water.

"Hey." Buffy said softly.

Ginny didn't even bother to look up, nor did she say anything in return. Buffy could see that her cheeks were tear-stained. She felt guilt bubble up within her. She knew she could have been nicer, but her emotions were all over the place where Ginny was concerned. Buffy admitted that she was attracted to the other girl, but a very big part of her had a hard time being comfortable with that and all the labels it would entail.

"Ginny, sweetie." Buffy tried again. No response. "Look, Ginny. I came to apologize. I'm sorry I was being a bitch." Buffy said sincerely. Still no response. She reached out to touch Ginny's cheek lightly. Ginny flinched at Buffy's gesture. It had Buffy cringing inwardly. Clearly, sorry wasn't going to cut it.

Buffy walked around Ginny, knelt before her, and firmly held her face, forcing Ginny to look at her. "I'm sorry. I don't really know why I act this way, but I didn't really mean it. How about we do something tomorrow?" Buffy suggested.

"I don't think so. I wouldn't want to be a distraction." Ginny said bitterly. Buffy winced at her own words coming back to bite her in the ass.

"I'm an ass. I really didn't mean that. You're not a distraction to me. At least not a bad one anyway." Buffy joked weakly. "You're much more than that. Ginny, I have a hard time thinking whenever you're around me. I just want kiss those lips of yours all the time." She admitted. Ginny gave her a disbelieving look.

"It's true! Even when you aren't around, I'm thinking of you constantly and how I like kissing you." Buffy stated sheepishly. She stared at Ginny's lips and gently rubbed her thumb over them.

"So what's stopping you?" Ginny asked skeptically. Buffy took a deep breath before answering.

"I'm scared." She replied shakily. Ginny gave her a questioning look. "I'm scared that everything is happening too fast. I'm also not sure if I'm ready to deal with this kind of relationship." Ginny's face showed some disappointment. Buffy gathered up all of her courage to say the next thing.

"But I'm willing to try if you'll let me. Please, Ginny. Will you forgive me and give me another chance?" Buffy looked deeply into Ginny's eyes, silently pleading for a reprieve. After a long moment, Ginny finally gave in, tears pricking her eyes once more. Buffy leaned forward and kissed them away.

"Sshh...sweetie. Don't cry. I'm sorry for hurting you." Buffy wrapped her arms around Ginny in a tight hug and peppered small kisses on Ginny's face, in a comforting gesture. Then she captured Ginny's lips.

At first, Ginny didn't respond, but a few seconds later had her returning the kiss. Buffy gently massaged Ginny's tongue with her own. She swirled her tongue around Ginny's, lightly tangling their tongues together. When it was finished, Buffy laid her forehead on Ginny's and sighed.

"That was nice." Buffy stated.

"Mmm hmm." Ginny said dreamily. Buffy smiled and place a kiss on her girlfriend's forehead. Girlfriend? It was kind of weird to think of Ginny like that, but there was no going back now. Buffy refused to play with Ginny like that, blowing hot and cold, confusing her all the time. That was sort of what Angel had done to her before they had actually gotten together, and the time they were officially a couple wasn't all that much happier either. No, Buffy decided that she was committed in this relationship, despite future obstacles. Buffy knew there would be several, but for now, she just wanted to bask in the new romance. Later, she would think about these things and still decide that Ginny was worth the fight. She hugged Ginny closer to her, protectively. They stayed like that until it was time for Buffy to go.

**So this was a little angsty, but at least I didn't keep it that way. I had two options for this chapter, but I chose the happier one. :-D**

**Hugs?**

**Please review.**


	19. Homeward Bound

**Chapter Nineteen**

Draco walked to DADA, his heart troubled from all of the pressures that had been bestowed upon him. As he walked through the halls, something caught his eye. Draco stopped in his tracks as he got a better look. It was a couple, completely involved with each other in a dark corner. If he hadn't been looking specifically in that direction, he probably would have missed them. They were totally attached by the lips, not realizing that there was someone moving through the hallway. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't have shocked him. Couples made out in hallways all of the time. No, what made him do a double take was that it was two girls, one of them had red hair. Ginny Weasley. Her partner was what surprised him even more. It was none other than his friend and housemate, Buffy Summers. Draco's eyes widened, then he grinned.

The first thing that came to his mind was _'Buffy likes girls?' _The next thought had been a little more perverted: _'Mmm...pretty girls and tongues, togetherness.'_ Then he realized that it would be fun to see the look on Summers' face when he told her she was busted. His last thought was imagining the reactions of Potter and Weasel. Oh yes, this would be interesting. Draco continued walking to class with a newfound happiness in his heart.

* * *

Buffy returned to the Slytherin common rooms with a soft smile on her face. She and Ginny had been together officially for two weeks and Buffy had never been happier. They were taking things slow, but reserved the right to have smoochies. Both had decided that it was better for them to keep their relationship a secret for the time being, not wanting to call any unwanted attention to themselves. They hung out in the library together, with Buffy helping Ginny with her work occasionally. Sometimes they snuck around the school looking for places to be alone, and have the heavy make-out session. They did do other things like go flying and train privately, but that mostly ended up in them making out. Buffy thought back to the last time they were training with a secret grin. It had started out hot and heavy, but turned into something more meaningful. Buffy now felt closer to Ginny in a more emotional sense, having been left with a feeling that their relationship had progressed on another level.

_Flashback_

_Buffy had been working on showing Ginny how to spar lightly. Mostly, it was Ginny on the offensive with Buffy defending herself, but hardly striking back. She wanted Ginny to get used to the movements first, and didn't want to accidentally hurt her with an unexpected attack. Ginny had been throwing combinations of punches and kicks that Buffy blocked easily. It was starting to frustrate Ginny. The frustration was what led to their little smoochfest. Ginny had thrown a punch which Buffy blocked with a cocky grin. Ginny's competitive and fiery nature didn't take Buffy's smugness very lightly. Ginny stepped into Buffy's personal space and lightly ran her other hand over Buffy's arm, causing the other girl's eyes to gleam with desire. Catching Buffy off guard, Ginny hooked her leg into Buffy's and sent her flying to the floor on her back._

"_Wha—Ow!" Buffy glared at Ginny, who stood there smiling. "You totally cheated!" _

"_No, I didn't. I just used my every advantage. It's not my fault you were distracted." Ginny laughed as Buffy's glare grew darker. "Aww... you're just mad because I got you good." Buffy stopped glaring and gave Ginny a sheepish smile._

"_Okay. Fine, you got me. Damn, that hurt." Buffy rubbed her backside before sitting up to look at Ginny. Ginny knelt down and went to climb on Buffy's lap, straddling her legs. Buffy held Ginny by her waist, gently caressing her sides._

"_You want me make it up to you?" Ginny ran her hands through Buffy's hair, sending a spark of desire through Buffy. Ginny saw Buffy's eyes darken and Buffy's tongue stick out to lick her lips. Buffy nodded in answer to Ginny's question. Ginny leaned forward to meet Buffy's lips in a hungry kiss, both tongues dueling each other for dominance. Ginny continued to run her fingers through Buffy's hair, massaging her scalp. Buffy moved her hands over Ginny's back, unconsciously pulling Ginny closer to deepen the kiss. Buffy moved her lips away from Ginny's and planted wet kisses down her neck until she reached the pulse point. Buffy stopped her lips and sucked on Ginny's flesh. Ginny threw her head back to give Buffy more access and moaned from Buffy's administrations._

"_Mmm... that feels nice." Ginny said raggedly. She felt Buffy's hands roam towards her butt, gently squeezing before moving some more. Ginny then noticed Buffy's hands slide up her shorts and slip under the fabric, moving her hands over Ginny's legs. That was about when Ginny managed to get her thoughts straight. She pulled away from Buffy and grabbed her hands from roaming any further. "Stop."_

_Buffy looked at Ginny in concern and began to apologize. "Oh Ginny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let it get that far." Ginny placed her fingers on Buffy's lips to stop her from talking._

"_No, it's okay. It felt wonderful. I'm just not ready to take this any further and we both got carried away. I didn't mean to lead you on." Ginny placed a quick, reassuring on Buffy's lips. _

"_It's alright. Truthfully, I'm not entirely ready for us to take the next step either. I've only had sex once before and it turned out very badly." Buffy stated._

"_Wait, you're not a virgin?" Ginny asked surprised, and somewhat curious. None of her peers had ever gone that far. Most of them just snogged until their heart's content. Buffy gave her an uncomfortable look._

"_No. I'm not. I was seeing someone before I came to Hogwart's." Buffy replied. "Are you mad?" Buffy looked into Ginny's eyes, uncertain of her reaction. Ginny shook her head. Buffy let out a small breath in relief._

"_No, just surprised. How did it happen?" Ginny asked. Buffy sighed deeply. She still hated talking about her and Angel. It wasn't something that really gave her truly happy memories. In fact, it just brought back feelings of guilt for Buffy and made her think that if she hadn't been so selfish, then maybe Ms. Calendar, Kendra, and many others would still be alive. Buffy hated those feelings of doubt that always came back to her, but she felt that Ginny had a right to know everything that happened. She spent the next couple of hours explaining her whole mess of a relationship with a souled vampire. When she was done explaining everything, Buffy looked at Ginny, her eyes tearing up. _

"_Are you disappointed with me?" Buffy asked tearfully. Ginny immediately understood what Buffy meant, having had dealt with another hero-type with a huge guilt complex. She shook her head, trying to reassure her girlfriend._

"_No. It's not your fault. There was no way you could have known that something like that would happen. Buffy, you can't help who you fall in love with." Ginny hugged Buffy close and rubbed her back in a comforting gesture._

"_I know, but that doesn't make the guilt go away." Buffy said mournfully. _

"_It will get better eventually. Just give yourself more time." Ginny gave Buffy a sweet kiss on her lips._

_When Ginny moved back from the kiss, Buffy gave her a little smile. She felt much better. "Thanks. I needed that."_

"_Heh. No problem. I needed that too." Ginny joked. She wanted to distract Buffy from her guilty thoughts._

"_As always, you're being demanding." Buffy replied playfully. She knew what Ginny was doing and allowed it to happen. Feeling sorry for yourself wasn't going to change things._

"_It's all part of my charm, and I'm only demanding to you because you can't refuse me anything." Ginny grinned smugly. "Now give me another kiss."_

_Buffy chuckled at her girlfriend's forceful behavior, knowing that even though she said it lightly, Ginny was telling the truth on some level. Buffy adored Ginny and didn't really like to deny her anything. She wouldn't say that they were in love right now, but it was a very real possibility. Buffy just didn't want to rush into things like she had done with Angel. __She also admitted that there was something about Ginny that just called to her. Even at her happiest moments with Angel, Buffy had always felt like something was missing. With Ginny, she didn't have that feeling. Ginny, in essence, made Buffy feel completely content. Pushing those thoughts aside, Buffy leaned forward to plant a big, wet one on her girlfriend's lips._

"_You're just lucky that you're a good kisser."_

_End Flashback_

"Hey, Earth to Buffy." Draco pulled Buffy away from her thoughts.

"Oh hey, Drake. What's up?" She said distractedly. Draco smirked a little before answering.

"Nothing much. What's with the whole zombie impersonation?" Draco asked innocently.

"Huh?" She looked up to see him staring at her with a sly grin.

"Never mind. You know, today I saw the most interesting thing on my way to class." Draco stated conversationally. It was almost too pleasant. Buffy gave him a wary look.

"Really?" Buffy narrowed her eyes at Draco, trying to see where he was going with this conversation.

"Oh yea. See, I was walking through the hall and I see two figures standing close together in the shadows. At first, I thought it was just any ordinary couple snogging, but then I got a closer look. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was actually two girls going at it... and a Slytherin and a Gryffindor no less! When did you start swapping spit with Weasel's sister anyway?" Draco looked at Buffy with pointed leer. She flushed. She and Ginny had thought that they made sure no one was in the hallway, but apparently, they were wrong. Shit!

"Ew...Drake, disgusting much?" Buffy wrinkled her nose at Draco's antics. She knew he would get a kick out this when he found out. He was twisted like that."It's not like that. I really like her. Maybe even love her. I'm not sure yet. We're trying to take things slow." Buffy explained.

"I can't help it. Guys like hot chicks, especially when they play with each other's tongues." Draco grinned sheepishly. His eyes started to glaze over again. Buffy swatted his arm. "Ow!"

"Drake, cut it out." Buffy admonished playfully. She couldn't really be mad with him about it. Xander would be the same way. It was probably a guy thing.

"Sorry. So when did all of this happen anyway? I didn't know you liked girls." Draco asked.

"I don't. I like Ginny. Something about her makes me want to be around her all of the time. I can't help myself. Plus, I can't stand to make her unhappy. Right before we actually hooked up, I made her cry. I felt like such a jerk. That was when I knew that I really wanted to be with her." Buffy smiled.

"Why? Because you were a jerk?" Draco still didn't get it.

"No, because I didn't like to see her looking at me with disappointment. It's like I'm compelled to make sure that she's happy, no matter what. Oh my God, I'm so whipped!" Buffy's eyes widened in horror at the realization. Draco began to laugh at Buffy's expression. He gave her a sympathetic pat on her back.

"There. There. We all have our crosses to bear." Draco gave her a huge grin, making her scowl.

"Shut up." Buffy pouted. "And to answer your other question, we've been together officially for a couple of weeks, but we've been dancing around each other for a bit more than that.

"Is that why your head was in the clouds that one day?" Draco asked.

"Oh yea. It was right after the first time we kissed and I didn't know what to do." Buffy replied.

"Mmm...hot girls...kissing...body parts..." Draco's eyes began to glaze over. Buffy punched him in his shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?" Draco cried out indignantly as he rubbed his sore spot.

"You know exactly what that was for." Buffy said pointedly. Draco glared. Then he remembered something from before.

"You do realize that Potter and Weasel are going to flip their lids when they find out?" Draco smirked. Buffy sighed.

"Yea, that's why we're keeping this a secret for now. It's complicated enough that I have to train them. I'd really appreciate it if you kept this to yourself." Buffy gave Draco a serious look.

"But Buffy, this is too good to let go!" Draco whined. "Think of the pleasure of seeing Potter's heartbroken look. And what about Weasel's face? I bet it'll turn as red as his hair and he'll be so angry that he won't be able to speak."

"Please Drake? Imagine how ultimately bad it would end up if they found out I'm with Ginny right now. I might have to watch my back for curses for a very long time." Buffy stated. She gave Draco a more pleading look. He held his hands up in surrender.

"Fine! I won't say a word." Draco said with a pout. "I'd love to see their faces if they ever found out though. It would probably one of the best days of my life." Draco said with slightly more wistful tone.

"You're evil." Buffy tapped him playfully.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are." There was a slight pause.

"Well, maybe just a little." Draco admitted sheepishly.

* * *

Dumbldore sat at his desk mulling over some research. After his meeting with Rupert, he had decided that he would try to look for the remaining horcruxes. Right now, his research was showing some very promising information about a ring that Tom might have hidden in the Gaunt's house. He knew that it was a very dangerous mission, but if he could somehow eliminate them one by one, then he could at least give Harry and Buffy a better chance. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Angel looked up from where he sat to see that Willow and Xander were entering the mansion. They had taken him off of the chains that he was being held in because he had started to become more coherent in the past few days. He no longer acted like a wild animal, but was still wary around people, especially Faith. She was never hostile towards him, but he knew that if he were to step out of line around her, she would dust him without any objections. She just gave off that kind of vibe. He actually wondered how she ended up in Sunnydale and why she was in Sunnydale since there was Buffy, but he hadn't been able to ask those questions yet. Angel found that doing Tai Chi helped to soothe his demon. It was sort of grounding, and every time he did a set of forms, it brought him one step closer to humanity.

"Hey guys." He greeted them softly.

"Angel." Xander returned stiffly.

"Hi Angel. How are you feeling today?" Willow asked brightly.

"Much better, thanks. I don't feel so agitated anymore. Tai Chi and meditation has been helping me a lot." Angel admitted.

"Hey, that's super! Maybe now we don't have to worry about you taking a nice big chunk out of our necks!" Xander exclaimed sarcastically. Willow slapped him in his head. "Ow!"

"Xander, remember that talk we had about being nice?" Willow said sternly. She gave him her resolve face. He caved, but it was done reluctantly. He gave Angel a glare.

"Fine. I'm not going to say another word...for now." Xander stated.

"Can I ask you guys something?" Angel asked hesitantly. He was curious about Buffy. Ever since he had come back, he hadn't seen or heard from her once. He wanted to know why she wasn't around and why Faith was the Slayer in town.

"Um...sure." Willow was pretty sure she knew where this was heading. She had been expecting it the moment Angel could form rational sentences again.

"Where's Buffy? And why does Faith live with Mrs. Summers?" Angel asked awkwardly. Both Willow and Xander showed a hint of guilt on their faces before looking away.

"It's sort of complicated." Willow said uneasily.

"Why?" Angel persisted. He wanted answers without any avoidances.

Xander groaned. Despite his dislike towards Angel, he felt that Angel deserved an explanation at the very least. They all knew that Angel didn't really remember much from the time he lost his soul to the time he got it back. Then there was the whole sending him to hell from Buffy. It really wasn't his fault that he didn't know what was going on. Xander let out a huge sigh then began to explain.

"It's like this..."

* * *

The next few days had gone by slowly, with Thanksgiving approaching. Even with Ginny's excellent methods of distraction, Buffy could hardly wait to go home and see everyone. She was nervous to see her mom again, but she was also excited for it. She really did miss her mom despite their arguments. She also missed her friends and wanted to meet the other slayer. She also wished that Ginny could come home with her, but since it wasn't an official holiday for the school, there was no way Ginny would be allowed to go. It would be nice to have her girlfriend meet her mom and her friends. Oh well, there was always the Christmas break. Buffy entered Giles' office excitedly.

"Giles, are you ready to leave yet?"

Giles looked up from his desk and smiled at his slayer. Dumbledore had given them both permission to take early leave for the weekend. Buffy had nagged him into going home with her for Thanksgiving and he gave in. It wasn't customary for him to celebrate that holiday, but he considered Buffy to be the daughter he never had and if she wanted to celebrate it with those she considered to be her family, himself included, then he would be there for her. He also knew that she wanted his support for when she saw her mother again.

"Yes. I just needed a few things from my office before we leave. Just a couple of books that might prove to be useful for Faith and her watcher." He stood up from his chair and gathered his things. He didn't have much since he still had his place in Sunnydale and a lot of his clothes were there.

"Cool. Let's get this show on the road then." Buffy danced around anxiously. Giles looked at her amusedly.

"Oh alright." Giles said exasperatedly, though Buffy thought she heard a hint of excitement there. "Are we going to apparate or use a portkey?" Giles asked warily. He wasn't very keen on either of those things, but it was much more efficient than buying a plane ticket.

"Portkey. I haven't tested international apparition on my own yet, and I wouldn't want the both of us to end up splinched if I do it wrong." Buffy grinned as she held out a stake. Giles raised an eyebrow. "Some habits are hard to get rid of. You know I don't like to go anywhere without a stake. This way I'll be prepared. It's set to take us to Sunnydale as soon as you grab the other end." Giles reached out reluctantly and grabbed the stake, only to feel a tug at his navel as he was pulled away.

* * *

"So Buffy's adopted and Joyce and Hank are not her real parents?" Angel said in disbelief as he paced the floor in the living room. Willow and Xander nodded.

"And she's also a witch who goes to magic school somewhere in England?" Angel questioned. They nodded their confirmation again.

"And this is all because she has another destiny than to be tied to the Hellmouth?" Angel asked.

"Yes!" Willow and Xander replied in unison. Angel had been asking them the same questions over and over ever since they told him what had happened with Buffy. They were getting tired of this conversation.

"Huh." Angel sat back down. "Why haven't you guys told her about me being back?"

"Well you see, when Buffy had to kill you, it devastated her. She went to England not only to learn magic, but to deal with losing you. We all felt that if she knew you were back, she would want to come back to see you. In her last letter, she seemed much happier, like she never even thought about you anymore. She talked a lot about her friend Drake something or other. It sounded like they were really close. I don't know how she would've taken the news to your being back anyway. Plus when you came back, you were like a wild animal, so we figured that it would kill her to see you like that. We've been waiting for you to get better before we planned on telling her. She is supposed to be coming back for Thanksgiving so we figured we'd just play it by ear." Willow said quickly. Xander frowned and wondered briefly how she didn't run out of breath. Even Angel, who didn't need to breath, was impressed with Willow's long-winded explanation.

"I see." Angel said softly. He was little hurt that Buffy seemed to get over him so quickly, but he pushed it aside.

Willow caught Angel's hurt look before he was able to hide it. "Sorry. Maybe Buffy really does miss you, but is just keeping it to herself." It seemed sort of insincere though. In her letters, it sounded a lot like Buffy was moving on.

"Not your fault. Maybe I'll just have to wait until she comes back before I can find out how she's doing." Angel said optimistically, but it held a false ring to it. Considering their past, he couldn't blame Buffy for not waiting for him. No one wanted 240-year-old vampire with a Jekyll/Hyde complex for a boyfriend.

"Yea, maybe." Willow said a little too brightly. She was trying to give the vampire some hope, but she had a feeling that it was being made in vain. Buffy seemed much more happier at Hogwart's than she had ever been when she was dating Angel.

* * *

Joyce was working hard to get everything cleaned up for Thanksgiving dinner. The meal had already been planned for the next night. She was kind of nervous to be seeing her daughter again after all of these months. They hadn't left on the best of terms, but they had managed to write each other often enough. From their letters, Joyce knew that they were several steps closer to repairing the trust between them. Having Faith around had paved a way for Joyce into accepting Buffy's life as a slayer, but she also knew that it was a little different because it was Buffy. Buffy was her baby girl. No matter how much older she got or the fact that Buffy wasn't her biological child, it would never change and no mother wanted to accept that their child might not out live their parents. It was bad enough that she had to find out from Buffy's friends that Buffy had died once before.

Joyce had just about got everything in order when she heard the doorbell ring. When she opened the door, her heart filled with joy.

"Buffy!" Joyce cried out when she saw her daughter and her mentor, Mr. Giles. Joyce quickly stepped forward to sweep her baby girl into a tight hug. Giles smiled at the heartwarming sight. His slayer would be okay. He stepped to the side to give them more privacy.

"Whoa, can't breathe!" Buffy coughed out. Joyce gave her an embarrassed look.

"Sorry, honey." Buffy grinned at her mom. Maybe things would be all right after all.

"I assume by that suffocating hug that you missed me?" Buffy asked shyly.

"Of course, honey! You're my baby and I'll love you no matter what." Joyce quickly assured Buffy. Then she gave a guilty look. "I'm so sorry that I didn't take everything very well. I've had some time to think about things and with Faith living here, I'm starting to accept it more. I know I overreacted and I'm ashamed of myself for it." Joyce stated remorsefully. Buffy felt tears begin to prick her eyes.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too, mom. I know I didn't make things easier for you either. I've also had a lot of time to think about things and I've forgiven you. Do you think that you could forgive me too?" Buffy looked at her mother hesitantly. A couple of tears fell down her cheek.

"Oh sweetie, there's nothing to forgive." Joyce gave her daughter another hug. She brushed away the tears in a loving gesture.

"Mom, I missed you so much! I really hated that I left with things still shaky between us." Buffy leaned in to her mother's comforting scent.

"Shush. It's all in the past now." Joyce said soothingly as she rubbed her daughter's back. "I know it won't be easy, but I know we can build our relationship into something much better."

"I'd like that." Buffy smiled. Then she frowned. "Oh my God, Giles! I totally forgot about him!" Buffy pulled back from Joyce's embrace and looked around to see Giles standing at the edge of the sidewalk.

"Giles!" Buffy called. He turned around and smiled gently. She motioned for him to come closer.

When he reached them, he gave Buffy a concerned look. "Everything alright?"

"Yea, we talked a little. Cried a little. All better now." Buffy grinned. Joyce smiled at Giles.

"Hello, Mr. Giles. I'm glad that you could join us for Thanksgiving." She greeted.

"Hello, Mrs. Summers. I'm honored to be invited to such a special occasion. I hope it's not too much trouble." Giles returned cordially.

"Please, call me Joyce. And it was no trouble at all. I know Buffy considers you family and she would never let us celebrate this without you. Plus all of her friends will be here too. One more won't make much more of a difference." Joyce stated.

"Thank you all the same. And please, call me Rupert." Giles smiled.

"If you insist. Now that we have everything settled, how about I make us something to eat. You must be starving." Joyce offered. Buffy and Giles nodded. "Then the both of you can tell me what the two of you have been up to at magic school."

"Sounds lovely." Giles agreed. Buffy rolled her eyes at her watcher's phrasing.

"Yea mom, what he said. C'mon, I'm starved. International traveling always makes me hungry." Buffy joked as she led them into the house.

"That reminds me. How did you get here so quickly without catching a flight?" Joyce asked curiously. She had wondered about how Buffy was planning on getting home, especially since Buffy never mentioned needing to buy a plane ticket.

"Magic. We used a portkey." Buffy explained. At her mother's confused look, she elaborated. "It's any item that's bespelled to travel somewhere specific. It can be anything from a coin to a shoe. Wizards use them as one of the methods to travel."

"Oh. It sounds like you're learning some very interesting things, dear." Joyce stated.

"Yea, I really love it there. I actually go to class now." Buffy smirked at her mom's skeptical look. "I swear. Just ask Giles." Both Buffy and Joyce turned to the gentleman for confirmation.

"I assure you, Buffy is actually an exceptional student. I was quite surprised myself. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either." Giles said dryly. Joyce snickered.

"Hey! Just because I never did well in school, doesn't mean I'm an idiot!" Buffy said offended.

"Sorry, honey. It's just so unlike you. Not that you're stupid, just that you've never shown an interest in school before." Joyce tried to assuage Buffy's irritation. It didn't really work. Buffy's pout only grew bigger.

"Ha! You try being the world's savior and see if evil creatures put their plans of world domination on hold because you have a chemistry test!"

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